Daily Dose of God’s Glorious Love

This is the fourth part of The Upside Down World of Theology Chapter Three God’s economy is not like ours!             One of the things about the Church that has always amazed me is that we always try going to the world for our methods of operation.   If the world is indeed upside down, then so are their methods and they could even be destructive to the church.             The goal of the world is to gain profit and get more things.    The Bible tells us that we are to give to others as God has already given to us.   The difference between the world and God’s methods is found in both their source and distribution. “ 9 You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it. 10 You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. 11 You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” (Psalm 65:9-11 N

October 30, 2017 Monday             Today is an unusually good day for me.   Usually I still am hurting and weary from going to Worship but I feel rested and the pain is better.               Bonnie and I had our devotion and prayer.   We have so many prayer requests and we try so hard to be faithful to each one.             Lately we see so many worrying about the future and stocking up for a big crash.   We have some emergency supplies in case of storms but I want to trust in My Love for He has been so faithful to us.   Also I want to live and not spend my life trying to keep from dying.             Before I was a Christian I was just existing and when they told me I had 3 months to live it didn’t matter because I had never really lived.   But when I came to Jesus I learned to live and everyday has been a miracle and a blessing!   Bonnie and I look back and we have seen God work in so many ways and I have enjoyed life as I watch My Love change lives!             We

This the third part of The Upside Down World of Theology. Chapter Two Life is rough, and then we die             This one really sounds like one of the classic signs of depression.   But it isn’t.   Over the years I have discovered that there is a great deal of difference between depression and realism.   And our society wants very little to do with realism.   In fact, to many realism is defined as depression!               We would prefer to live in a world of advertising slogans and upbeat theology, even if it all has little to do with how we live.   We have divorced what we believe from how we live to the point that we can no longer tell a Christian by their fruit.   We claim to be Christian by what we believe, failing to understand that what we really believe cannot help but affect our actions and form our way of living. Life is rough!             Look at it any way and life is rough!   One person told me that the only thing we know for sure about life is that we

October 29, 2017 Sunday             I was able to go to Worship and even Sunday school even though I felt bad.   But it so encourages my soul and body to be able to be with God’s people.   The service was good and they honored Jack Davis who has been a strong help and blessing to Asbury.   Jack was such a blessing to my family when we served there.             As usual I crashed after the service and rested.   Bonnie and Rebecca got to go to a movie.   I am so glad that they take opportunities to for re-creation.   They need that to be able to be of help to me.   Many people pray for me but I ask them to pray twice as much for Bonnie and Rebecca.   Caregivers become overloaded as they still have their stuff to take care of and they must also take on the things I used to do as well as the pain of all I am going through.   Bless them My Love for the love they show me every day!

October 28, 2017 Saturday             This was a terrible day and I spent most of it in bed.   Part of the reason was I felt so bad but also I knew if I rested I would be more likely to be able to go to Worship at Asbury.             Ate very little because I really didn’t want to eat anything.   That seldom happens.             But God was so good and reminded me that He is still faithful in the terrible times.   I feel His presence so much and when I pray I feel like I sit in god’s lap and I can experience His love and strength.

October 29 Matthew 22:34-46 Grand Commandments 21 st Sunday after Pentecost      Going from 1 to 10 commandments then back to 2.                Psalter reading Psalm 1:1-6 1   Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2   But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. 3   They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 4 But not the wicked!  They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.  Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6   For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. Psalm 1:1-6 NLT 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to

October 27, 2017 Friday             I was woken early and had about 2 ½ hours of listening to Ephesians and in prayer.   It has proved very helpful to use the prayer cards from www.joshuaproject.net which allows you pray for nations, people or religions.   You can even choose to pray for the unreached or for all.   It is so interesting to see the many groups in countries around the world.               Praying for them reminds me of God’s love for them and that His heart cries out for them.   In this time of being disabled I have been still and heard God’s voice and call to pray for those He loves.

October 26, 2017 Thursday             I woke early and praise be to God the pain is much less.   But I guess while true I must also say that I am learning to praise God even when I wake up and the pain is terrible for all is good if only it brings glory to My Love.

This the second part of The Upside Down World of Theology.  Let me know if you enjoy this. Chapter One No good deed ever goes unpunished.             Over the years my wife has claimed that I am a pessimist for stating this.   But as I grow older in the Lord I see more and more the truth of this statement.             Many people will do good things to get good in return.   We give money on Sunday in order to get more blessings from God.   We help others so we can get help one day when we need it.   Our actions are often an investment in good that carries the expectation of a return of goodness in our lives.             This becomes so dangerous as a theology because each of us must face sickness, loss, hurt, pain, and in the end, death.   When we build in this expectation of good we can become despondent when the troubled times come.   We are warned by our Lord, “Remember the word that I said to you. ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’   If they persecuted me

October 25, 2017 Wednesday             I slept well and caught up on Facebook.   It is so nice to be able to see what is going on in so many people that I know life. Today I shared from Colossians chapter 1 that we must take seriously sharing faith with those around us and that we must seek God’s strength to help us.   I know I am disabled but I pray, send cards and seek new ways like Facebook and this blog to reach others!             Pete Higgs called to check on us and gave an update on Renovatus.   They are making an eternal difference in so many lives coming out of addiction.   I pray My Love will bless them.             Was able to do a few things but as the day increased the pain and weariness increased until it was terrible.   The pain washed over me and even made it hard to walk.             Jonathan came and helped move a chair Grandmommie gave us and stayed for supper.   It was great to see him.             Even as I struggled was able to spend time in pra

October 24, 2017 Tuesday             Slept well but still woke tired and weak.   It is a day when my skin felt like creepy crawlies and I really felt bad.   But I know that God is so good.   Finished my second reading of the Bibl e this year and have started an in depth time of listening to Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.   An amazing time!             One of the great things about my disability and even my pain is that I have so much time to read the Bible, pray and spend time with my Lord and My Love!   In times of severe pain listening to the Bible and prayer calm my fears, ease the pain and calm my soul.   In my list of what prayer is my favorite is “Prayer is sitting in your Daddies lap!”             May you sit in your Daddies lap and find His healing and love!

Sometimes I feel I have lost my mind and other times I am sure.  Months ago I started this study but looking back I see I didn't finish it.  So hope I will complete it this time! THE UPSIDE DOWN WORLD OF THEOLOGY By Ronald Ramsey INTRODUCTION “ 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who

October 23, 2017 Monday             Slept sporadically last night and I feel very bad today.   Still have to go see Dr. Byrd and am not looking forward to it.   But I hope this will either help or at least keep her up to date.             Dr Byrd recommended doing some moderated yoga to get strength and to keep limber.   Got a Amazon video but haven’t tried it yet.   Also took a blood test since they thought my vitamin D was low.               God continues to bless my time of prayer and lately it has been mostly a time of praise.   God is so worthy of praise and it is such a blessed time to meditate on God’s glory and celebrate not only what He has done but Who He is.

October 22, 2017 Sunday             What a wonderful day of Worship!   The Worship service at Asbury was great and so was Sunday school.   Then there was a meal after to celebrate Fall Festival and thank those who worked so hard.   It was a good time.             Rev Underwood texted.   He and Anne are so thoughtful and such a blessing!   I still miss so much the people at First Jefferson City.   They were such a blessing to my family and I.             I pray for each congregation I served and each one is so much a part of me.   I am sure most of the early ones no longer remember me but that does not matter.   What matters is that they remember My Love and their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!             As usual on Sunday I crashed for the rest of the day.   Bonnie fixed a wonderful meal for us and Mom that was so delicious.   She also went to Choir practice.   She is growing to be such a part of Asbury.

October 21, 2017 Saturday             This is a better day but still not good.   My mind is so scattered that it is hard to even spend time in prayer and reading the Bible. Bonnie went to Asbury to practice the organ for tomorrow.               Watched football most of the day.   The day was so long and so bad but it seems with the increase in the Lamotrigine the jerking and muscle twitches are much less.   Thanks be to God.             I had a hard time getting to sleep again because of the pain and the weariness.   Once again I had a very special time of prayer in the night.   We traveled across the Orient and there were so many places and peoples to pray for.

October 20, 2017 Friday             This is a terrible day.   Little sleep for me and I woke early and listened to the Bible some and prayed.   Bonnie and I did our devotion and had a time of prayer.   There is so much to pray about.   Tried to rest some but still hurt most of the day and just watched some TV.   Have been reading more but that is gone today.             Jonathan came by and got dinner for us.   It was so good to see him and that he is starting to recover from Fall Festival.   We are so proud of him for the good job he did at Fall Festival and for Rebecca and him singing at Fall Festival and at the Worship service.             Last night and tonight I have been in such pain that I had to come out and didn’t get to sleep until about 2 AM.   But I did have a good time of prayer and of Worship.   The pain is so bad it is hard to even listen to the Bible since I cannot concentrate.   But I have had wonderful time of Worship during my time of prayer.   God is so

October 22 Matthew 22:15-22 God things   20 th Sunday after Pentecost          We must learn what are God things and what are ours.                              Psalter reading Psalm 99:1-9 The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! 2The LORD is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. 3Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy. 4The King’s strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy. 6Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the LORD, and He answered them. 7He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. 8You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. 9Exalt the LORD our God, And wor

October 19, 2017 Thursday             I woke early and had a time to celebrate God.   But my mind wouldn’t let me stay on worship.   My sleep was better with long periods of dreams but still feel weary.   This is the long day of seeing both the ophthalmologist and my Neurologist.               The Ophthalmologist said I have the nerves behind my eye like I have glaucoma but I do not have the pressure.   He wants me to come back in 9 months to compare the previous tests.             The Neurologist said all he could do is slowly increase my meds.   There are no more tests he can do so he will treat me symptomatically.             Got back early and was fully exhausted.   Earlier Bonnie and I had our devotion and time of prayer.   Prayer had become a daily calling for me at times God wakes me at night to pray and at times during the day I am called to pray.   It is at times for a nation, at times for a situation and at times it is praise.