Gentle reader,

Today we want to consider one of my favorite verses (or at least part of one) it is Ruth 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.(Rth 1:1)

I like to say when I am not up to my ears in a swamp full of alligators "Now it came to pass..." it didn’t come to stay! Priceless gems have often been found blooming is a rocky crevice. Rainbow artisties have suddenly lit up the drabbest sky. Beauty spots have charmed the traveller at surprise turns on a least-promising road. It is so with this superbly beautiful book of Ruth.

Never measure the value of a book by its bulk. The background is revealed in the opening words, "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled". That places the story in that period of the history of the Hebrew people. The events chronicled transpired in a troublous, stormy and difficult times; in the midst of religious apostasy, political disorganization and social chaos. Remember that God had promised to bless the Hebrew children in the land and yet our first occasion finds that there is a famine. And the husband wife and the two boys left the promised land and go into the land of Moab.

What we have here is a love story and the secrets of Saintship; God is the sufficiency of trusting souls. The second point we might consider is that trusting souls are the instruments of God.

A saint simply is a person separated to the will of God. Ruth and Boaz lived a life of Saintship in circumstances of the utmost difficulty, finding their sufficiency for such a life in God.

Ruth, a Moabitess, of an accursed race, who according to the law of Moses was not allowed to enter the congregation of the covenant. How would people perceive her, how would she be looked at, how would she herself, as she came in contact with the religion of the Hebrew people, would realize the greatness of her distance. She returned with her mother-in-law, Naomi to a land of poverty out of love. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God Rth 1:16).

Thus the saintship of Ruth was in spit of difficulties, and flourished amid circumstances calculated to discourage her.

Boaz lived amid people of privilege in times of degeneracy. Perhaps there are no circumstances in which it is harder to live the life of a saint. It is today easier to live a godly life in the midst of worldly men and women, that to live in the midst of worldly Christians. Boaz was a man of wealth and power. That condition is always perilous to the life of faith.

There were legal difficulties for Boaz, a nearer kinsman had first right of refusal before Boaz could claim Ruth. How easy it would have been for him to sacrifice the principle of loyalty in order to win.

So both Ruth the Moabitess, and Boaz the man of Judah were saints, in spite of difficulties peculiar to each. The secret of sainthood we wish to point out are three fold. For Ruth the sufficiency of God were manifest by First, Ruth was a woman of an open mind willing to receive the teaching of Naomi. Secondly, she was a woman who at a crisis made her own choice against all the prejudices of her nationality, against the persuasion of Naomi, to whom she owed the very light of her faith; separation herself of her own free will from Moab, and transferring herself to Judah and to Jehovah. Finally she was persistently, patiently, and definitely loyal to her choice.

To this woman of an open mind God revealed Himself and she answered in obedient faith. And lived a life of a saint, full of beauty.

Boaz also we might note three things. First, his loyalty to God in the midst of difficulties. A man true in the midst of men of untruth; a man of faith in an age of faithlessness. Secondly, he was a man who made application of his relationship to God in he relation to his fellow men. Finally, he was a man of caution and courage. The two things are never far apart. Caution is the very soul of courage. And courage is the true expression of caution.

Now gentle reader, see the footsteps of Almighty God. Boaz, the Hebrew, and Ruth the Mobitess in union Hebrew and gentile become the highway for God toward the ultimate realization of His purpose.

Three principles we once again point out. First, circumstances neither make or mar saints. Second the principle of victory is faith [F. A. I. T.H.- Forsaking all I take Him] Finally, we see that what God values is a life that makes the great surrender, and follows Him in faith.

Note once again the closing of this little book "And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David." (Rth 4:21-22)

Gentle reader, you may not see great things but God has called us all to be faithful, not successful as man measures success. Your part is part of HIS. Gentle reader, we are called to be SAINTS let’s not miss the opportunity.

Love,

Denis

Gentle reader,

We have our next cup of coffee with The “not for profit” Prophet -Ezekiel Ezekiel, whose name, Yehézq'el signifies "strong is God", or "whom God makes strong" (Ezek. I, 3; iii,  , was the son of Buzi, and was one of the priests who, in the year 598 B.C., had been deported together with Joachim as prisoners from Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:12-16; cf. Ezekiel 33:21, 40:1). With the other exiles he settled in Tell-Abib near the Chobar (Ezek. i,1; iii, 15) in Babylonia, and seems to have spent the rest of his life there.In the fifth year after the captivity of Joachim, and according to some, the thirtieth year of his life, Ezekiel received his call as a prophet (Ezek. I, 2, 4 etc) in the vision which he describes in the beginning of his prophecy (Ezek. i,4; iii, 15). From Ezek. xxix, 17 it appears that he prophesied during at least twenty-two years.

Here we will look at one small part of prophecy in Ezekiel. Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. (Eze 47:1)

The rivers of Blessing

Whatever these waters (Ezek47-1-12 may refer to, either in the historical past or in the prophetic future, one thing is certain: in a latent sense they are a remarkable parable of spiritual possibilities in a believers life. Again and again in the Holy Scriptures water is used as an emblem of God’s most Holy Spirit the third person in the tri-unity of God; so these waters (note waters plural not singular water) may well speak to us of His gracious outflowing towards the Lord’s people.

Notice first the SOURCE of these waters from under the threshold of the house. Unlike many other ancient capitals, Jerusalem had no known river; but here, in a vision , a supernatural river is seen proceeding from the house of God. And does not the Holy Spirit now flow down to us as “rivers of living water” from the heavenly sanctuary, even from And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1).

In John, Our Lord says, In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (Joh 7:37-38 ) As the Scriptures hath said out of HIM (the Christ) shall flow rivers of living water” Then verse 39 adds, (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (Joh 7:39)

Notice next, the COURSE of the waters. They issued “issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: Why was that? Verse 8 tells us “Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea {the Salt Sea or the Dead Sea] : which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.”(Eze 47: 1 ) So these waters were directed toward two places of barrenness and bitterness i.e. “Wilderness of Judea” and the Salt Sea. Both places were of deadness; but the barren was to become fruitful and the bitter to be “healed” by these crystal waters from the sanctuary. Even so, those heavenly and spiritual waters which our glorified Lord has released through the sluice -gate of Pentecost are seeking to channel their course through consecrated believers, so as to communicate new life and verdure amid surrounding spiritual death and sterility.

And now notice the FORCE of the waters, first they were a mere “trickle” (see verse 2 in R.V. margin). Then a “thousand cubits” further (1,500 feet) further “they were to the ankles” (3) Next, another thousand cubits and “they were to the knees” (4) Next, another thousand and “they were to the loins” (5) Still one more thousand, and they were “waters to swim in” (6) All in just over a mile the “trickle” had become a “river” at least six or seven feet deep! That was no merely natural river! No river normally grows at that rate. The was the “river of God”. This certainly speaks to all of us of the Holy Spirit.

Young Christians, whom I now address, do not think you must wait for years before the Holy Spirit may be to you as “waters to swim in”. You may know His copiousness NOW. Older Christians if you have been a believer for years and yet are still only “up to the ankles”, the fulness is for you just down steam a wee bit. In other words, the deeper you and I make the channel through our hearts and lives, the more deeply the Holy Spirit will flow in and through us.

The Holy Spirit is our Director of Continuing Education

Open my inward eyes,
Teacher Divine,
Spirit of glad surprise
Within me shine
Quicken my inward sight,
So that I may see
Shining in clearest Light
Thy Word to me.

Till next time,
Love from one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread!    

Denis

Frappé with Philippians

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Php 3:10)

Gentle Reader,

Is this your Supreme Desire? To know Him? In my humble opinion the supreme longing of the Christian heart should be first of all and most of all to know Christ; personally and intimately; to know Him experientially in "the power of the resurrection"; to know Him in that deepest and closest of all ways, in the oneness of a sympathetic heart-to-heart fellowship in His sufferings over a world with it’s back turned away from God.

But I can only know Him in this way when I make Him truly "My Lord" and He becomes more than Lord but my friend, my older Brother, and all things are counted as loss for His dear sake, living wholly for Him and keeping daily company with Him in that quiet place. Untill like Brother Lawerence "Practicing the presence of God" we are so in touch with Him that we carry on that conversation, non stop, picking up where we left off, when interupted by the world. This is open to all of us even though we must give hours of each day to the mundane things; and who can tell the rich, deep spiritual joys which come to those who know the Lord Jesus in this manner?

I fear sometimes that despite all of our busy Christian service, our attending of meetings, and conventions, our singing of hymns and our outward Christian activities, some of us, even though we are truly trusting in the finished work of that Calvary for our salavation may find, when we pass into eternity that we do not know Jesus Himself- having so gelected the secret times with Christ down here that we find ourselves strangers to Him there!

"That I may know Him", are we so busy serving Him like Martha that we have no time for the siting at His feet like Mary? And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luk 10:39-42)

This was the ancient posture of disciples or learners. They sat at the "feet" of their teachers - that is, beneath them, in a humble place. Hence, Paul is represented as having been brought up at the "feet" of Gamaliel, Act_22:3. When it is said that Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, it means that she was "a disciple" of his; that she listened attentively to his instructions, and was anxious to learn his doctrine.

The trouble with many of us is that we block our own vision of Him, by our busyness of serving. We must get to where Paul was when he said "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: . . ."(Php 3: .

Paul penned those words 30 years after meeting the risen Christ on that Damascus road "That I may know Him"! His longing was to know the mind and heart and love and friendship of Christ in ever developing degree. As treasure seekers seek fortunes for gain should we not seek and discover that treasure that we have in our earthen vessels? Well may this be our life-long motto be" That I may know Him".

Love, you all

Denis　

Coffee Cup Bible studies

The name Cappuccino comes from the Capuchin friars, possibly referring to the colour of their habits or to the aspect of their tonsured (white) heads, surrounded by a ring of brown hair.

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:  (Col 1:27)

Gentle Reader,

How wonderful is this truth, that our Lord actually indwells the hearts of His people. In the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament many and varied aspects of the coming of Christ are pre-envisaged, but nowhere are we told that He would indwell His people. As Paul tells us in the verse preceding our text, Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints  ( Col 1:26) . That was part of The Divine "Mystery or Secret hid from ages and generations". BUT NOW the secret is divulged and as verse 27 says To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory .

These words " Christ in you" remind us that if our Christian experience is to be rich in quality and alive with communicativeness, we need to know Christ in three (3) ways. Putting it in the first person singular, I need to know Christ for me; Christ in me; Christ through me.

Christ "for" me is Christ dying on the Cross. Christ "in" me is Christ living in my heart. Christ "through" me is Christ speaking by my life.

Christ "for" me is my substitution and sacrifice. Christ "in" me is my sanctification and satisfaction. Christ "through" me is my service and sufficiency.

Christ "for" me is my only acceptable standing before God. Christ "in" me is my only true victory over sin. Christ "through" me is my only real power for spiritual ministry.

As a corollary to this prepositionary trio- this "for"and "in" and through", I am to sustain a threefold relation to Christ, represented by three words, purchased, possessed, permeated.

His dying for me means that I am Christ-purchased. His living in me means that I am Christ-possessed. His working through me means my being Christ-permeated.

He died for me: I am to take Him. He lives in me: I am to prove Him. He moves through me: I am to transmit Him.

Oh, that all of us who call Him Saviour might be fully possessed and permeated by His life and love and grace and peace and power. Dr. F. B. Meyer used to say "In all His people Christ is present. In some He is prominent. In a few He is pre-eminent".

Gentle reader, to which of these classifications do you and I belong?

Those who are indwelt and controlled by Christ, find in Him their all-in-all. He is Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer, for spirit, soul and body. May we say with A. B. Simpson

I take salvation full and free,

Through Him who gave His life for me,

He undertakes my all to be:

I take - He undertakes.

I take Him for this mortal frame,

I take His healing through His name;

And all His risen life I claim:

I take - He undertakes.

So Gentle Reader, drink up and think about your relationship with The One who we call Lord of all.

Remember, you are accepted, you are valued, and you are loved.

Denis

Gentle Reader,

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." - 
  --  Alexis de Tocqueville

Gentle Reader,

For today's offering let's mix some Irish stew in a crock pot and see what we have.

Take  one fat congress and add pork barrel (give to those who need it not at all AIG,  Big Banks ). Forget about those millions who went to bed hungry last night. Or the children abused while our Government talks about things other than the health and safety of each and every citizen, (the party of NO has spoken"We want power and authority but refuse to help anyone but ourselves, elect us and we'll fix things") While the  smallest  of our little  ones goes with out any help! The same party who refused to vote at all for ANY health care, talked about pulling the plug on Grandma, Which they have done for years with inaction for our neediest citizens. IMHO don't call yourself a "Christian" and not want to help your neighbor, or the family down the street, or in another state!

And while I am speaking , not as a pastor, or even as a "christian" but as a thinking American . I don't need a multi millionaire,  fake a heat attack so he can tell me that Health care is alive and well in Hawaii, when the very thing he speaks about are not available to the average person in this country! Nor do I need a failed part time ex governor telling me that what we need is more of the same that got us where we are today. 

"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience." 
  --  George Washington

Next, take the top models add sex and degradation of women by a woman (on television) target our most impressionable teens (girls) and show how they can be abused also (lessons for the sex offender?) and ignore the fact that rapes have increased by 300% in the last 10 years (neither political party wants to deal with that!) Let's throw in the killing of babies for convenience sake!

 Now add those who want the highest office in the land and are not decent enough people to say "I was wrong about sending your children  off to a war that we had no intention of even trying to win!" Both political parties did this and no one who sits in Washington D. C. is innocent. And you gentle reader, sat in the comfort of your living rooms and let those who are supposed to represent you get away with (what shall we call the slaughter of innocents?) how about genocide. The killing of our best and greatest hope! (Does this make you proud to be American, Gentle Reader?)

 When will we wake up, speak up, and act as responsible citizens and vote them all out of office?? 2010 is our opportunity to stand up for the rights of all! Poor, rich, black white, gay, straight atheist or non atheist. Jew or Gentile, or Muslim!v For if we refuse the right of the least (the minority)  then eventually we will refuse the rights  of the  many (majority).

 And just a dash of teacher, abusing students to make a good mix. Mad? You can take it to the bank (which will foreclose on your house in the morning if they haven't already).

Will you wait until God says as we do in the pubs "Time Gentlemen Time!"

Just my opinion, one man's perspective. "Speaking truth to power, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable" 

Denis

 ...Take it!

It's almost time Gentlemen

In Ireland when its time to close the pup the barkeep will call out....

Gentle reader,

I don't drink so the best I can do is have you close out your web browser and spend the new years eve with your family. Marti and I will be praying the new year in and as always we will include all of you in our prayers. Find below a toast or too for those of you enjoying a bit of the devil this eve.

Here's to you and yours,
And to mine and ours,
And if mine and ours ever come
Across you and yours,
I hope you and yours will do
As much for mine and ours,
As mine and ours have done
For you and yours!

May the lilt of Irish laughter
lighten every load.
May the mist of Irish magic
shorten every road...
And may all your friends remember
all the favours you are owed!

Here's to the land of the shamrock so green,
Here's to each lad and his darlin colleen,
Here's to the ones we love dearest and most.
May God bless old Ireland, that's this Irishman's toast!

May the luck of the Irish
Lead to happiest heights
And the highway you travel

 Be lined with green lights.

Happy new year from the O'Callaghan's

The new year is suppose to bring a change of fortune

Dear Gentle reader,

I am surprised to find you hear this morning. I see you made the coffee your self yes I have a cup. With the electric out I didn't know if I was going to find anything working or not.

 We have a custom, though I'm not sure if its an Irish custom or just a O'Callaghan tradition. We put a bit of money out side the house on the 31st of this month and it is supposed to bring you money for the coming year. Last year I didn't have and "real" money so I put out my check book (I don;t know if that counts or not this year I'll put out ten Shillings (about 25 cents in American money) [ I told you I was a poor preacher , Oh you heard that one have you?]

 

Well since I am in the United States now I need to find a place to teach/preach so many churches but they are looking for the "perfect' pastor/teacher. Me? Well I like to find a group that is not so dead that they aren't willing to show up once in a while and help me open the Book and read a bit, maybe even want to share with those who need a little bit of help.  I bet I've sent out more resumes that there are web sites on Google/MSN/Yahoo/and Bravenet combined. I quit counting resumes after we hit 2000. Makes one wonder if the churches seeking a pastor really want one called by God or just someone till fill up a Sunday sermon with nonsense.  

 

Would I be willing to move? Duh yes, not many people can fit in the little mobile home that we in now! Where do I want to go? Some place where the people have an interest in improving their lot. I mean. for example.

 

In my last church I told them that unless all agreed that I should come I would not!  And that was the same church in which I stood up one morning as they were about to take up the collection and said " If you can't afford to put anything in the collection, then take something out!"  The treasurer had to receive CPR. No one ever did that before.  You can count me to do the unexpected. 

 

There was a movie called "The shoes of the Fisherman" staring Anthony Quinn as the Roman Catholic Pope when faced with a world wide famine sold all of the Catholic Church's possessions and used the money to help the poor. I guess that's what I was thinking.

 

 Not that this church was rich they couldn't afford to pay me half the time. But they were dear people  and I loved them very much.   I guess you would call me a Grace Believer. That is I believe that God has things under control and He wants me to jump in once in a while a teach a bit. Which I do when He lets me.

 

Here are some jokes I shared with my last church. Hope you like them as much as they did!

 

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief, finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"
    The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll just run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Jimmy, come in or stay out!'"

~~~~~

    Finding one of her students making faces at others on the playground, Ms. Smith stopped to gently reprove the child. Smiling sweetly, the Sunday School teacher said, "Bobby, when I was a child, I was told that if I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that."
    Bobby looked up and replied, "Well, Ms. Smith, you can't say you weren't warned."

~~~~~

A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

~~~~~

    A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon. "How do you know what to say?" he asked.
    "Why, God tells me."
    "Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

 

   

  Smile God loves you and so do I,

Denis 

 Gentle Reader,

Marti and I wish you a very Merry and blessed Christmas from our home to yours. Our last story is one of the best from a dear brother and it is called:

Christmas Hardships