Garden of Eden Revealed – 30 September 2020, Anno Domini

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ND the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.    (Genesis 3:22-24)

 

            When a very young lad growing up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, I loved the many mysterious stories of the Books of Genesis, Daniel, and Revelations. There were some parts of particular interest to me even though my mind was incapable of grasping the context in which those mysteries were presented. One such mystery was the Garden at Eden. What a wonderful and dreamy place. A young boy could have a ball in such a place where lions, tigers, rattle snakes and wolves could be made pets just as easily as kittens and rabbits. But that was not to be for God had closed the door on Eden to all mankind. He removed the Garden to such a place as man could not attain to it in this world. I searched the Scriptures for clues as to where the Garden had been removed. My mortal mind obviously was considering some hidden valley or dead-end canyon of the world. I desperately wanted to find it. Of course, the ‘flaming sword’ of the Cherubims would present some problem for me since fire-retardant fabric had yet to be developed.

 

            Well, that was many sunsets and moons ago, and the zeal to find the Garden of Eden faded from my maturing mind. But as I approach my approaching ‘second’ childhood, the dream once again emerges in the mist of the ancient writings of the Bible.

 

            The Garden at Eden was God’s first step in His plan of redemption for mankind. He gave Adam and Eve only one commandment to follow, but they could not even keep that one commandment. The moment of their disobedience in partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, instead of the Tree of Life, the shroud of death descended and their days were numbered. Now their lives, and the lives of their descendants, would be denominated in years and not eternity. They felt shame and remorse for their disobedience. They discovered they were naked and knew that was wrong. They attempted to cover their nakedness with fig leaves – the first designer brand known to man. But fig leaves did not cover the subject proving that the works of man could not cover the nakedness of sin. God resolved to provide a covering for nakedness and sin.

 

            God, to the hurt of His heart of love, found it necessary to take the life of a totally innocent animal in order to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. God loved the animals He had created then just as He does today. It was very painful for the Lord to take such a life. But the pain was multiplied beyond measure in the act as God knew that innocent animal would die to cover the sins of Adam and Eve in the same way that the Lamb of God would be sacrificed to cover the sins of mankind to come. So man was evicted from his primitive home of comfort and joy and released into a world of hard labor, suffering and eventual physical death.

 

            But where was that Garden of Eden? We cannot be sure. Some speculate it was at the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers – others more northward toward the fertile crescent. Of course, if God had wanted us to know, He would have told us. Perhaps He did not because He had placed the Garden in such a place as we could not reach it.

 

            In my young imagination, I tried to picture the Tree of Life. I already had a fair understanding of that other Tree whose branches were draped by the Serpent. But the Tree of Life was somewhat elusive in my understanding. It would be many years before I came to an understanding of that Tree. I suppose it is natural for man to be attracted to tokens of sin ere he comes to appreciate the offer of redemption. So, as Adam, we first seem to come and stand before that vile ‘other’ Tree. 

 

            Over the years, it dawned on me that that the Garden of Eden would likely be found wherever God had removed the Tree of Life for it belonged in the Paradise of God from the beginning. That Tree of Life represented our Lord Jesus Christ. It seems our first choices in life are made apart from that Tree of Life. If I could find the Tree of Life, there would be the Hidden Garden for which I longed. 

 

            One day in my latter years, I was doing a study on the Book of Revelations. I happened upon a verse that opened my eyes to the ancient mystery that I had sought after from my childhood – the place to which the Garden at Eden had been removed. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. The Lord has revealed to us that Garden in His own words. It is in Heaven where no man can attain in this life. The Paradise of God is the Garden at Eden for that is where the Tree of Life is located! Our Lord was lain in a manger made of a tree at birth; and He was nailed to a tree at His Passion. And now He is the Tree of Life for all who are the called and chosen according to the purposes and will of God.

 

            We read a further description of the Paradise of God as the Garden at Eden in the last chapter of Revelations: 1 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. 2 In 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. 3 And 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: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And 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. (Revelation 22:1-5) See how completely this Paradise compares with that of Eden: 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. (Genesis 2:8-10)

 

            Just as God found it expedient to remove His only Begotten Son back to Paradise and Heaven following the Resurrection, so did He (in type) remove the Tree of Life and its Paradise back to Heaven. Wherever the Tree of Life is, there is Paradise. Wherever Christ is, there is Heavenly bliss. Jesus made that promise to the repentant thief on the cross:  39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  (Luke 23:39-43)

 

            I have found that beautiful Garden right there in the Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you seek that Garden, cast aside your picks and shovels of excavation, and take up the Chart and Compass of God’s Word. There you will be led to find the Garden, the Paradise, and the Tree of Life and its pure River of Life flowing abundantly among the branches and fruit of the Tree. 

Hymns of the Church – O Lord of Heaven and Earth and Sea – 29 September 2020, Anno Domini

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E loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. (Psalm 33:5-8)

 

D

EEP calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.  (Psalm 42:7)

 

P

RAISE ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.   (Psalm 148:2-4)

 

            This classical hymn is one of high praise to the God of all Creation in descending order of magnitude – the Heavens which includes all the heavenly bodies and distant galaxies; the earth and all that is in it; and the sea which covers a greater part of the earth. The author, nephew of William Wordsworth, is Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1883), an Anglican cleric who was Bishop of Lincoln in 1865. As with every Christian hymnist, Wordsworth attempted to cause each of his hymns to have a direct reflection on biblical doctrine. In the words of the Rev. J. H. Overton, D.D.: “He held it to be ‘the first duty of a hymn-writer to teach sound doctrine, and thus to save souls.’ He thought that the materials for English Church hymns should be sought (1) in the Holy Scriptures, (2) in the writings of Christian Antiquity, and (3) in the Poetry of the Ancient Church. Hence he imposed upon himself the strictest limitations in his own compositions.”

 

O Lord of Heaven and Earth and Sea

 

O Lord of heav'n and earth and sea,

to Thee all praise and glory be;

how shall we show our love to Thee,

who givest all?

 

The golden sunshine, vernal air,

sweet flow'rs and fruits Thy love declare,

when harvests ripen, Thou art there,

who givest all.

 

For peaceful homes and healthful days,

for all the blessings earth displays,

we owe Thee thankfulness and praise,

who givest all.

 

Thou didst not spare Thine only Son,

but gav'st Him for a world undone,

and freely with that blessed One,

Thou givest all.

 

Thou giv'st the Holy Spirit's dow'r,

Spirit of life and love and pow'r,

and dost His sev'nfold graces show'r

upon us all.

 

For souls redeemed, for sins forgiv'n,

for means of grace and hopes of heav'n,

Father, what can to Thee be giv'n,

who givest all?

 

1 O Lord of heav'n and earth and sea, to Thee all praise and glory be; how shall we show our love to Thee, who givest all? The first verses of both Genesis and the Gospel of St. John call upon us to acknowledge God as the Pre-existent, omniscient, and omnipotent Creator of all things. Indeed, the supreme question is proclaimed in this first verse – “How shall we show our love’ to our Lord who has given all things without whom we would not only have nothing, but not exist at all? Even our love for Him is granted in the first instant to us by Him. “18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19)

 

            2 The golden sunshine, vernal air, sweet flow'rs and fruits Thy love declare, when harvests ripen, Thou art there, who givest all. Walk out tomorrow morning in the warmth of a dawning sunrise, inhale the fragrance-laden air, and listen to the natural music of the birds and creatures of the garden. From whence do you believe those blessing came? Of course, once you consider that question, the answer will emerge immutable that the Lord your God has made those blessings available out of an immeasurable love for you and all Creation.

 

            3 For peaceful homes and healthful days, for all the blessings earth displays, we owe Thee thankfulness and praise, who givest all. This would be a commendable appeal in prayer for it asks nothing, but expresses thankfulness for all that the Lord has given. May I ask a simple question? When was the last time you gave thanks to God for allowing you to get out of bed this morning, for your home, for days of joy and sunshine, or for your freedom to move about and have your being in life? Your next breath is a gift of God – be thankful for it and all things big and small.

 

            4 Thou didst not spare Thine only Son, but gav'st Him for a world undone, and freely with that blessed One, Thou givest all. Abraham was spared the ordeal of sacrificing his only son, Isaac at Mt. Moriah. This was an example to us, not only of the great faith of Abraham, but of the grievous hurt of the Father in providing His own only Begotten Son as a propitiation for our sins. Can we even barely conceive of the pain of that sacrifice? The ultimate sacrifice one could ever make would be his own life, and that is what Christ gave for us.

 

            5 Thou giv'st the Holy Spirit's dow'r, Spirit of life and love and pow'r, and dost His sev'nfold graces show'r upon us all. Here is a most beautiful mystery seldom expressed in our fellowships. A widow’s dower was a provision made for the widow by her deceased husband to provide all her future needs. The Church is the Bride of Christ. “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” (Isaiah 54:5) The Lord has left a dower for His Church in the Person of the Holy Ghost. The power of love and life is vested in the elect by means of that Holy Ghost which is our Comforter. Once the first great act of grace is granted (salvation), then all the other graces of God are added. “2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.” (Isaiah 11:2-3)

 

            6 For souls redeemed, for sins forgiv'n, for means of grace and hopes of heav'n, Father, what can to Thee be giv'n, who givest all? How shall we repay anything to God since we are literally nothing without him. He gave even our bodies to us and breathed into our nostrils the breath of life. We rebelled  as the clay to the potter. But when we were the most disfigured by sin, he marred the lump of clay which we were and created a new and comely child of His own cherishing. He makes all things new – including you and me. He has freely forgiven and removed our sins by virtue of His unmerited grace. Instead of desponding fear, He has given us a brightly burning hope. He has given us, in fact, ALL! Are you thankful?

 

Closing Thought

In reading and contemplating the words of this hymn, how successful do you believe the hymnist was in conveying the doctrinal truths of God’s love and redeeming grace, and our obligations to return thanks and praise for such undeserved blessings?

AOC Sunday Report - Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity

 

Happy Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity as the Endless Green Season drones on! 

The AOC Sunday Report can be downloaded RIGHT HERE or by clicking on the picture above!

Today's AOC Sunday Report has some excellent sermons, one each from Bishops Jerry and Roy, as well as Revs Jack and Bryan.  Each is great, each is easy to understand. Read them.

There are also a lot of people who need your prayers every week, this is no exception.  Please start with Shamu who is getting scheduled for her 28th abdominal surgery, for Bob who is recovering from radiation sickness, and Loretta who has pneumonia; work out from there.  Do not forget to pray for our various governments as they over react and under follow what little honest science there is on the Covid pandemic.

There is an epic week ahead, you will need help to see it and experience it.  Reach out to the Holy Ghost, he will lead the way.  Perhaps he is a Ranger...

Godspeed,

Hap
Church of the Faithful Centurion
Descanso, California
United States of America

 

Sermon Notes - Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity - Saint Andrew’s Anglican Orthodox Church - 27 September 2020, Anno Domini

 

The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

 

The Collect.

 

O

 LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

W

HAT hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. 16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. 17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee (Jeremiah 11:14-17)

 

            Whether I apply the words of Jeremiah to my church, or to my nation, I cannot pray for their success in wickedness and affronting the very God who blesses them. We live in a nation whose foundation, like the church, rested upon God and His Word. Long before we saw our freedoms in America begin to dwindle and vanish, we saw our blessed Church fade and dwindle – overcome by the desires to be accepted by the world and a cowardly reluctance to stand upon those truths that made her great. Can I pray for her success in that regard? Can I pray for the success of the leaders of our nation who embrace the filthy practice of homosexual marriage and the murder of innocents before they ever see the beauty of God’s Creation bathed in sunlight? We are now harvesting the bitter fruits of rejecting God as a nation and as a Church. Murder, abortion, vile sexual sins, drug abuse, and alcoholism have grown up in our fields of infidelity. Our children stagger in lost paths, while we revel in our faith in government to the detriment of our faith in God.

 

            The Collect for the 16^th Sunday after Trinity makes a proper and appropriate appeal to the only prayer we can truly utter for an apostate church, society, and government. Our weak faith of today did not result from an over-reliance upon government, but our overly reliance on government resulted from our weak faith. The former bastion of freedom and liberty – the early Church in America -  failed to stand up when divorce began to grow prolific when the 1^st Amendment right of children to pray at any place (especially in school) was abrogated by a renegade judiciary, when the Holy Bible was deemed too harmful for the exposure to children in public schools when abortion (more egregious even than the slaughter of millions in Nazi death camps) became legal and even encouraged, and when high government officials began to advocate for the right men to marry men, and women to marry women. How far into the abyss can we sink ere we burst Hell wide open? So, can I pray the Prayer Book Prayer for the President (we recently had such a one) who has callously embraced the sinful and opposed the righteous? Yes, for every word of the prayer is honoring of God and calls any man in the office of President to be made aware of his right path and to turn from any wickedness:

 

 O LORD our Governor, whose glory is in all the world; We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, and to all in Authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness; and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen This prayer calls for righteousness in the President, and should we (as Jonah) be disappointed if he repents from the course he has embarked upon to evil?

 

Of course, before any President may lead us in righteousness, the heart and soul of America must be open to Christ and willing to follow on a righteous course. Whose duty is it to remind us our responsibilities and debt to God? Is it not the Church – His beloved Bride - who has committed spiritual adultery? O LORD, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church Before God will grant pity, we must ask it of Him. We must ask in the same vein as 2 Chronicles 7:14 -  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Does God seek to hear the prayers of ALL people in a wicked land? No, not at all, but He DOES seek to hear the prayers of those who are “called by my Name” to humble themselves (have we?), and pray (have we?), and seek my face (have we?), and “turn from their wicked ways (have we?). Only after this formula shall God heal America. At present, we are NOT a righteous nation. At present, we are not humble. At present, we are not a pure church in prayer. At present, we still pursue a wicked path. But God WILL have pity and grant it for our asking.

 

            Do you believe the America we have known can be safe without the special benevolence and succor of God? “….because it cannot continue in safety without thy succor.” It cannot be so preserved without it founding principles established in God for His Church.

 

            If we desire God’s help, we must seek it admitting our sins and doing so in humility and prayer. America must turn from the propagation of murder of babies and from that “abomination that maketh desolate” spoken of by Daniel the Prophet and by our Lord Jesus Christ! “….. preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness.” If we are serious in our national repentance, we shall seek to be a good people so that we can be helped, forgiven, and restored by a Good and Holy God. Have we drifted too far from the share to be saved? Is the arm of the Lord ever shortened to save His people? I exhort ever Reader of this letter to stand with that same courage of men such as Patrick Henry in the beginning of our Liberties and stand upon the Liberty of Christ and not of governments. There is no weapon fashioned by the enemy of our souls that can stand against our Lord and Savior.

 

A

ND it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. ¹² Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. ¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. ¹⁴ And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. ¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. ¹⁶ And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. ¹⁷ And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. ¹⁸ And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.   (Luke 7:11-18)

 

Who are the dead?   &  Who are the living?

 

¹¹ And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. ¹² Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

 

The dead: Those who reject Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who have no forgiveness for their sins…those for whom there has been no redemption for sins. That includes all the world which dwells in utter darkness.

 

The dead hear not. Who stopped their ears? Not God. Not even Satan. They themselves have chosen to be dumb to the reality of God.

 

This son of the widow is dead, but death cannot exist in the presence of the Fountain of Life. 

 

Jesus knows the importance of a son or daughter to a widow. The boy is all his mother has. The mother of Jesus is also a widow.

 

The widow made no audible request of Christ, but Christ knew her abject sorrow and took compassion on her as He always does with those who face calamity.

 

¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

 

Jesus never desires our sorrow, but our joy in life.  He neither wants us to ‘fear’ nor to ‘weep’. Fear not, I am with thee always, even unto the end of the world. or “Hagar, why weepest thou?”

 

The desire of Christ is always for our extreme joy in Him. And Christ knows there is no real joy, or life, apart from that which He offers.

 

He sends no one to Hell. The lost, due to their rejection of Him, send themselves to Hell.

 

¹⁴ And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. When God is at work, we had best stand still and see the marvelous works that His hands perform. Stillness is a vanishing quality in a world bent on technology and pragmaticism.  As God said to Job in Job 37:14 “Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God” or  Psalms 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

So those who bore the body remained motionless while God worked.

 

And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

 

Though the ears of the Rabbi’s maiden were closed in the lock of death, the young girl heard the voice of Christ. Though Lazarus lay long dead in a stone cold tomb, the voice of Christ, his friend, penetrated the bars of death and were heard in newness of life. So with this young man.

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

 

Was dead! No longer dead because he had heard and responded to the voice of Christ. He sat up and began to speak. Once you have heard the voice of Christ whisper in your ear a personal message, you cannot fail to speak out. You do not keep it a secret.

 

Have you heard that voice? Have your dead ears responded in life?

 

When were you dead, and have you been called to life? Have you listened? Did you respond by unashamedly speaking out?

 

We were ALL dead prior to responding in faith to the grace of Christ. All lost. All dead.

 

Howe many are righteous?

 

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Romans 23)

 

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  (Romans 3:23)

 

ALL? Does that include you and me? 

 

Yes, ALL!

 

What is the condemnation to those who sin such as you and I have done?

 

²⁰ For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. ²¹ What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²² But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 6)

 

What remedy is there for all of us who are born under the condemnation of sin?

 

⁸ But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; ⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.  (Rom10)

Christ is the great Creator and Giver of Life. Death will not exist in His presence. So we must ensure our salvation that we may be present with him.

 

How?

 

1)      Know that the wages of sin are death

2)      Admit that we are dreadful sinners and cannot save ourselves through any good works

3)      Repent of our sins and turn away from the desires of the flesh.

4)      Receive Christ as you Lord and Savior – not simply Savior, but Lord of your life as well.

 

How many of us present today have taken a ‘dry’ shower, or a ‘dry’ swim, or walked in a ‘dry’ rain?

 

Is it possible to get into the water, or to come into contact with a fountain of water, and remain dry?

 

There is a River of Life which makes all alive who bathe therein and drink from its fountain:

 

¹³ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: ¹⁴ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4)

 

When we are IN Christ, all our sins are covered by His blood. When we are IN the River of Life, we are wet with that water of life all over. We are baptized in the newness of life.

Your eternal destiny depends upon which choice you make at the crossroads of life – will you be fearful and unbelieving? Or will you partake of the Tree of Life and Fountain of Living Waters?

 

⁵ And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. ⁶ And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. ⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Rev 21:6)

 

Simple decision –That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15)

 

Have you, too, believed unto salvation? For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  (2 Cor 6:2)

The Rain of God – 25 September 2020, Anno Domini

 

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IVE ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. 5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.  6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?    (Deuteronomy 32:1-6)

 

             There is no likelihood of rain falling on the earth during the Adamic period up to the Great Deluge. Before the flood, vegetation was watered by a heavy dew that arose during the hours of darkness: 4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. (Gen 2:4-6)

 

            There has become a corrupted meaning of the sign God gave Noah of the His covenant never to destroy the earth with water again by those who abhor even the mention of the Holy Bible or of God’s only Begotten Son, Jesus. The promise behind the Rainbow has not changed but still possesses only that magnanimous meaning the Lord gave it when He proclaimed it. That promise of the Lord came as a beautiful sunrise following the most profound storm the earth had ever witnessed. The seven colors of the Rainbow stand as testimonials to the seven days of Creation – and when those seven colors are combined, they render the combined colors to reflect pure white – the color of the Light of God.

 

            God sends rain upon the earth as a blessing and not a curse as were the first drops to fall. At the outset of the Flood. There is greater significance to the early and latter rains than simply those raindrops that nourish our fields and cause seed to germinate. These are rains of spiritual blessings that fall in due seasons as water upon parched ground. Imagine the superlative benefits to the soul of those spiritual raindrops comprised of the Water of Life that fall from Heaven upon His people who hear and believe, 17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:17)

 

            The seasonal spiritual rains of God seasonal those drops of rain that dampen our fields at springtime and harvest. Like the earthly rain that falls from the canopy of the sky, so do the spiritual blessings of God originate at the highest points of Heaven and descend in sparing droplets or in cascading torrents as God deems efficacious according to His will and purpose. 

 

            Physical rain makes the earth grow soft and tender to either receive the seed of grain or else to germinate that already planted within her mantle. In the same manner, the rains of God soften the hardened heart and germinate the seeds of faith planted there by the preaching of the Gospel. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (Romans 10:17)

 

            Following the Flood, the dews and damps of the world that then was were changed by the detrimental influences of sin so that these were now reserved to the special solitude of the garden and the grasslands of the fields and mountains, but not sufficient to keep alive the vegetation necessary for life. Periodic rains now fall to preserve that vegetation. In the same way, man’s fellowship with God was personal, close and constant in Eden. But when sin entered into the equation which the Lord our God would not countenance, that fellowship was broken to a point that a mighty act of love and compassion would be required to amend the breach. That came in the Ark of Noah as a precursor of that ultimate and mighty Ark of Christ which was to come. The rains of the earth are followed by the warmth and reviving rays of the sun that bathe the earth in the continuing replenishment of resources for life. The initial act of the sprinkling of spiritual rain are followed by the warming love and fellowship of the Holy Ghost in growing our faith and our hearts in our Redeemer.

 

            There are some arid lands and people upon whom the rains do not fall in sufficient quantity to grow life. We have many dark reaches of the world in which no preaching of the Word is heard. The predestinate will of God has held the rains back from those whose hearts and soils have not been prepared for the nurture of seed. In fact, the spiritual Seed of the Word of God has yet to be planted in those places and hearts. The Church itself must propagate that seed. Unfortunately, in churches in America and many places abroad, the seed that is planted is mixed with those of brier and thorns and not the Seed of Heaven.

 

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HEN shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. (Isaiah 30:23)

 

            It is a blessing to know wherever the rains of God fall, they fall equally on all who are privileged to have planted seed, but also on those who thirst without the gates of His Kingdom. 9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. 10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. 11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. 12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.  (Psalm 65:8-13)

 

            The Rain of God comes down in irresistible measure. Who can stop the rain from falling, or the Rain of God descending on hardened hearts? The heart of the sinner is changed by the Rain of God and receptive to life eternal by the inner working (beneath the sod) of the Holy Ghost drawing the sprouting faith to the Light of the World. 

 

            It may be a mystery to us that God does not send the rains equally to all. 7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.  Amos 4:6-7 (KJV) We forget that it is not our role to be responsible for the germination and growth of the Seed planted, but the role of the Holy Ghost to nurture, germinate and water the soil to make the growth possible. We are disappointed when we sow and observe no growth in our planting, but we have done our duty as sowers and that is sufficient. Of course, the sower prepares the ground and weeds the soil, but the Water of Life comes from on High beyond the reach of the sowers but often at the behest of their prayers:

 

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LIAS was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.  (James 5:17-20)

 

It is a great tragedy of spiritual dimension when the sowers fail to plant ahead of the rains which come in faith and trust. Just remember our Lord’s counsel:

 

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E have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  (Matt 5:43-48) 

Behold King Pismire – 24 September 2020, Anno Domini

 

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O to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.  (Proverbs 6:6-11)          

 

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HE ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.  (Proverbs 30:25)

 

          Napoleon Bonaparte was a tiny man by military standards – tiny in physical size, but a giant of military tactical and strategic genius. So was Beethoven small of stature but a giant in musical composition. Size is a matter of perspective. David was a small lad armed only with a sling and five smooth stones, yet he was victor over Goliath the Giant who was armed to the teeth.

 

            Perhaps my exalted title to this devotion has been given away by the two Bible texts from the Book of Proverbs. But the tiny ant (PISMIRE) deserves his title! For size and weight, the ant is the strongest known creature on the face of the earth. Some species can lift 100 times their weight. They possess a very advanced communications network and their armies are organized to a precision level. Some ants actually farm by planting seeds of a certain vine above their nests in the ground whose roots grow down into their passages and exude a sweet nectar which the ants devour. 

 

            The Army ant can kill large mammals and eat their bones clean. They even eat away the power poles in Kenya which I observed with my own eyes. When their armies are on the move, neither man nor beast in their path is safe. Strangely, the army ant cannot endure sunlight except for very brief moments of exposure; so, when crossing a sunlit trail, they form a tunnel of ants that rotate above and below as they cross the trail. They build living bridges with their bodies across streams or crevices.

 

            The leafcutter ant of Africa carries away leaves from trees and produces a kind of compost. The fire ant is the most aggressive ant whose combined stings can kill babies or cattle even. Then there are Carpenter ants that can destroy the walls of a home. Some ants even have slaves which often come from the hatched eggs of conquered enemies. I have read that there is a specie of ant in Africa that scares elephants away from certain trees and plants in which they live. In fact, there are stories told in Africa of ants killing elephants by entering their trunks where the flesh is tender and stinging the elephants into delirium.

 

            In his work, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon is quoted as saying, “Thou art no more than a pismire (ant); why wilt thou seek to provoke an elephant?”

 

            For what purpose does God point to the ant as an example of heroic proportion? Unlike many human beings who are lazy and remiss in labor, the ant is forever busy building for future survival. They possess an innate wisdom that compels them to labor during the green months so that food will be available during the months of winter. They do not require constant supervision in carrying out their duties. Contrast the wise and energetic ant with the one who constantly spends every extra cent of his welfare check and ends up begging bread at months end. The Bible contrasts the ant with the sluggard, “4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” A sluggish mentality is often fostered by governments who grant a minimal living to those who will not work thus increasing their political support as they increase the dependency of their citizenry.

 

            The closest other example I can imagine of a sluggard would be that of the snail whose character is very much like the biblical definition of the sluggard man. “8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.” The snail cannot abide two common and everyday factors – one is salt, and the other is light. In that way, a snail is a perfect type of the wicked. He hides during the hours of sunlight and slithers toward the vegetable garden during hours of darkness to devour that for which he has not labored. But before the sun rises, he again begins his slow crawl back to the darkness of some nearby rock. Like a sinner, he leaves a track behind him. If placed in sunlight, he will melt away. If salt is sprinkled on the snail, he will also melt away. 

 

The Christian disciple is commanded to be ‘salt’ and ‘light.’ If we are fit for the purpose, sinners will not feel comfortable in our presence. If our nation, as well, is a Godly one, the sinners will either shape up, or ship out!  

 

Here is an account taken from Aesop that used to be taught to every child who entered public school, and should be taught today:

 

Aesop For Children

 

One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

 

“What!” cried the Ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?”

 

“I didn’t have time to store up any food,” whined the Grasshopper; “I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone.”

 

The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.

 

“Making music, were you?” they cried. “Very well; now dance!” And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.

 

Moral

There’s a time for work and a time for play.

The Pilgrims of 1620 – 23 September 2020, Anno Domini

  

Today’s story is taken from The Heath Readers, Sixth Reader, the story is by Edward Everett. Everyone of fifty years or above may be very familiar with the history of the pilgrims coming to America in order to practice their religion in freedom and peace; however, those of lesser age lack the same benefit we had of learning the glorious history of America from The courageous voyage of Columbus, till the Mayflower and other ships of Godly purpose sailed from Europe to the New World; nor will they have a good understanding of our Founding Fathers, the sacrifices made by principled men (both rich and poor) who won our Liberty on snow hardened battlefields. I submit this story as a step forward in reminding us of our Godly heritage.

 

Our land is permeated by great monuments to our Founders. Those who hate our Liberty and Freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. constitution would, like ISIS, attempt to destroy every memorial of our glorious past; but honor and reason compel us to REMEMBER! 

Jerry L. Ogles

 

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HEN your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. (Josh 4:6-7)

 

Pilgrims of 1620

 

Methinks I see one solitary, adventurous vessel, the “Mayflower” of a forlorn hope, freighted with the prospects of a future state, and bound across the unknown sea. I behold it pursuing, with a thousand misgivings, the uncertain, the tedious voyage. Suns rise and set, weeks and months pass, and winter surprises them on the deep, but brings them not the sight of the wished-for shore. I see them now, scantily supplied with provisions, crowded almost to suffocation, in their ill-stored prison, delayed by calms, pursuing a circuitous route, — and now, driven in fury before the raging tempest, on the high and giddy waves. 

 

The awful voice of the storm brawls through the rigging. The laboring masts seem straining from their base; the dismal sound of the pumps is heard; the ship leaps, as it were, madly, from billow to billow; the ocean breaks, and settles with engulfing floods over the floating deck, and beats against the staggering vessel. 

 

I see them escape from these perils, pursuing their all but desperate undertaking, and landed at last, after a five months' passage, on the ice-clad rocks of Plymouth, — weak and weary from the voyage, poorly armed, scantily provisioned, without shelter, without means, surrounded by hostile tribes. 

 

Shut now the volume of history, and tell me, on any principle of human probability, what shall be the fate of this handful of adventurers? Tell me, man of military science, in how many months were they all swept off by the thirty savage tribes, enumerated within the early limits of New England? Tell me, politician, how long did a shadow of a colony on which your conventions and treaties had not smiled, languish on the distant coast? Student of history, compare for me the baffled projects, the deserted settlements, the abandoned adventures of other times, and find the parallel of this. 

 

Was it the winter's storm, beating upon the houseless heads of women and children? was it hard labor and spare meals? was it disease? was it the tomahawk? was it the deep malady of a blighted hope, a ruined enterprise, and a broken heart, aching in its last moments at the recollection of the loved and left, beyond the sea? was it some, or all of these united, that hurried this forsaken company to their melancholy fate? 

            And is it possible, that neither of these causes, that not all combined, were able to blast this bud of hope? Is it possible, that, from a beginning so feeble, so frail, so worthy not so much of admiration as of pity, there has gone forth a progress so steady, a growth so wonderful, an expansion so ample, a reality so important, a promise yet to be fulfilled, so glorious? 

 

Edward Everett (1794-1 865) was a distinguished American orator and statesman. He filled at various times the positions of President of Harvard College, Minister to England, and Secretary of State. 

 

Postscript:

            Unfortunately, the author failed to indicate the reason for the survival of that tiny host from Europe’s sod who overcame tremendous dangers and obstacles in the founding of a colony – it was clearly the Hand of an overseeing Providence that laid the Ancient Landmark on these wilderness shores just as surely as that same Providence guided and protected Israel in the Wilderness Journey. 

Jerry L. Ogles