Recently as I was asleep God woke me to write this down.

God showed me a river of humanity and they were singing and dancing along, lost in their merriment all headed together yet apart in the same direction.  A part of me wanted to join with them but My Lord and My Love reminded me that I used to be part of that river but He had called me out.

          The river flowed on with each one dancing, singing and throwing their hands in the air.  Each one was part of the river but they also moved in their own way. 

          The noise they made was very loud and was so diverse that it became madness and some fell but they gradually rejoined the river along its path.

          Some fell into this huge pit and for a while they stayed there dancing and singing as though to hide from themselves the tears flowing like a river down their cheeks and over their body.  They were sold by others around the pit to others who would stop for a time to use and abuse them.

          Some got pregnant and their child was ripped from their arms and sold to others as they danced and sang by.  The women sang louder and danced harder to cover their own screams and tears.

          Some became so drugged that they couldn’t sing or dance but they were drugged so they couldn’t see what was happening to them.  Others questioned and were told they didn’t dance correctly so they deserved what happened to them.  They believed and rejoined the dancing and the singing.  Eventually they would rejoin the river.

          The river continued to flow and then My Love showed me others who stood on the side of the river and shouted for people to come out of the river and to go a different way.  They shouted and tried to grab those within the river to come out and they could be free. 

          Some came and listened to them and stopped dancing and singing and then they could hear the voice of My Love and of those who stood on the side of the river. 

Some returned to the river at first putting their fingers in their ears and then returning to their song.

Some stayed and at first they cried harder and even reached into the river to try to pull those they knew out of the river.  If they were not careful they would rejoin the river and be washed away from their Love and their Lord.  Others pulled many from the river.

The number of those who called out grew and grew until all along the river there were people calling out trying to be heard over the singing and the sound of a multitude of feet dancing.

Even as He was with me My Love called out to them with a song so light and beautiful yet which still could be heard over the terrible sound and noise of the river.  Some heard and came out of the river and others stopped to listen to those beside the river.

Then I noticed that those beside the river were singing the same song though not as beautiful as My Love.  There never was such singing heard before!  The song at first made you cry as you realized what you had done to try not to hear the beautiful song.  But then the song so filled you with life that you began to sing and you joined those along the river singing so others would come out.

But still the river flowed on and on.  It seemed to go nowhere but still it flowed on its course.  Some in the river fought among themselves.  In fact many of them did but still they sang and danced harder even as they screamed at those who didn’t dance like them and sing the same song even though their song was disjointed and not united.

Many tried to kill others in the river and especially those alongside the river who called out.  Occasionally they would kill those alongside the river but those they killed actually rose over the river and joined in the song of My Love from there.

I realized that the song of those beside and above the river was the same as the song My Love sang!  The song of My Love was so beautiful that at times I laughed in joy and at other times I wept that those in the river could not hear.  My Love told me that though He wanted all to hear and for the river to disappear many would not hear and did not want to hear and that is why they danced and sang so hard!

I wept and I wept and as I looked at My Love I saw a stream of tears that flowed to the river but many in the river built walls so the tears would not reach them.  Then I noticed that the tears were mixed with blood and those touched by it fell to their knees and wept at first and then shouted for joy and began singing with My Love.

For the first time I realized I was singing the same song and My Love showed me myself along the river crying for those in the river to come out and know My Love.  Some listened and we wept together and then they joined with me singing the song of salvation and joy!

The river kept flowing and even when they were weary those in the river flowed on and on.  If someone fell down from weariness those around them kicked and beat them until they once again rejoined the river as it flowed along. Each singing their different song louder and louder as they once again danced.

My pain became unbearable as I watched and My Love took my tears and they flowed with His toward the river to bring healing.  Then I realized that my tears were my prayers as I cried, no screamed out to My Love to please do something!  “Can’t You stop this evil and horrific river My Love?”

My Love replied, “I cannot stop the river without destroying those in it.  So I call out to them with My song so many will join with Me and My song!”  Then He and I wept together and the tears flowed toward the river.

Then I noticed that sometimes my song was my own and was about My Love and then my tears flowed for Him.  My Love told me that this was when I loved and worshipped Him!  I then saw that I could sing both songs at the same time!  Then I saw that I sang the song to those in the river even better when I sang the loudest to My Love.

So I sang louder to My Love and more came out of the river to wonder how I could sing two different songs at the same time.  Many joined with me casting off their old song and slowly began singing both of the new songs.  My Love sang to them that they had been made new and so they could sing the new songs.

As I looked at the river again I wept for joy at those along the river and realized the song to My Love encouraged them so they could work harder and sing louder!

But still the river flowed on and on.  They told themselves they were singing a newer and better song but to me it was the same song.  I was amazed that they could deceive themselves so much.  As they flowed along soon their lies made them a lie and they could say opposite things and believe they were the truth.  It became their truth even though it remained a lie!

They so deceived themselves and then turned to deceive others, especially those who headed toward those alongside the river.  They were the ones who screamed at those along the river and even killed those alongside and made a lie that those they killed were dead and could never be alive again!  Many believed their lie and laughed even as they too became a lie.

I became so weary seeing what I never saw.  I was seeing not with my eyes but through the eyes of My Love.  I cried out “My Love I cannot bear this!  Why are you showing me this?” 

The kind voice of My Love calmed my soul and replied”My child, come and sit in my lap.”  I did and I felt so loved and grew stronger by the second.  My Love spoke to me but I am not allowed to repeat what He said.  But I was loved as I had never been loved before and I wept for joy!

I so much wanted to stay in His lap but soon My love asked me to go back alongside the river and cry out to those in the river to come to Him.

As I returned I noticed something strange.  Some within the river called for people to come to them and be saved from the river.  I cried out, “But you are still in the river!”  They shut their ears and told those who followed them that I was a heretic because I did not agree with them.  I wept!

The river kept flowing along in the direction and I wondered where it was going.  My heart thought it was all going nowhere together but My Love wept and told me it was going somewhere that was nowhere!  I wept.

Then My Love showed me that every people, tongue and nation flowed in the river.  They stayed together even as they fought among themselves to be the leader even though they didn’t lead but just followed the river. 

Some would say they sang a different song but it all sounded the same because everyone sang a different song even as they claimed to sing together.

Then I saw another horrific sight.  Many in the river killed those within the river!  They killed them to gain power, they killed others for the rags and trash they carried and some killed because they enjoyed killing and seeing others suffer!

Those they killed still flowed in the river but they moved along faster and faster and soon were out of sight!  I did not know where they went but I felt a heavy burden for I realized they could no longer hear the song of My Love! I wept and I wept.

My Love called me to rejoin the singing and because of the pain I felt I sang louder and tried harder to pull others out of the river.

But still the river flowed on and on singing louder and dancing harder in spite of the weariness they felt.

Those along the river grew weary but My Love would let them sit in His lap for a little time and they were refreshed and returned to sing to those in the river.

My Love told me that I could tell part of what He told me that renewed me!  My Love wanted all those alongside the river to know that one day they would sing over the river even as they sat in His lap forever and ever in love and joy!  I wanted to go right then but He reminded me that He wanted me beside the river for now so others could sit in His lap forever.

I loved My Love so much that I would do what He asked even though I did not want to leave Him.

But He wanted me to see one more thing.  Something I DID NOT want to see, something that brought a stream of tears from me.

First I smelled an evil and horrific smell that made me gag and throw up.  My Love had to breathe into me for me to even be able to see what He wanted me to see.

The singing and dancing grew louder and more frantic as the river flowed faster and faster as it approached its destination.  Some cried out in pain, some in despair but many cursed My Love and to the end their hatred grew and grew.  I wept and wept and could not hate those who cursed My Love because I knew He loved them!

The smell grew and I was amazed to see that to those in the river it was like pure air.  They drank it in and those who feared soon became comfortable.

Then I was amazed!  I was even more amazed then at anytime during my journey!  Before me, or should I say before those in the river was a massive hole.  It was not a cave as much as it was a hole.  I cannot explain it but it seemed like a door without a door.

Those in the river flowed into it faster and faster and the noise from the hole and from the river made it very hard for those singing out to those in the river to be heard, but they would not give up and sang out all the louder.

Soon I realized that those at the mouth of the hole were singing to those they knew and loved!  Their desperation was a reflection of My Love’s heart and of His song!

Then I saw the hole and that there were those who led others to the hole and those who dwelt within the hole pushing the river of those dancing and singing into the hole.  I expected to hear screaming but most continued to sing their song for awhile and only later would they scream!  And their screams were to blame My love for where they were!

I could feel their hatred of My Love like a force and it actually knocked me back.  I was shocked to realize that the terrible smell and the horrific heat came from the pure hatred for My Love!

I wanted to defend My Love and sing out to them but I felt His hand on my shoulder and He said, “I have already come here and sang My song here to all who would end up here.  They did not and will not listen anymore.  For them it is finished.”  And I wept!

I wept for them but most of all I wept for My love because I experienced a small part of his anguish and pain.  The scars He bore stood out more then I had ever seen them before and I loved Him for them.

Those who dwelt within the hole laughed and shrieked that they had hurt My Love by stealing from Him those He loved!  And then those they deceived joined in the celebration of hurting My Love.  This time I vomited!  From me flowed all my hatred and anger at those who reviled My Love and I loved them with His love!  I sang my song of joy and those in the hole shook with fear!

I wanted to join those above the river and be with My Love, but with a kindness and sadness He asked me to please go back.  I knew it was a command but His love for me made it a request.

As I prepared to go back My Love asked me to write this down.  I told My Love that it would be hard since my fingers do not work well and it is hard for me to type out so much.  My Love laughed at me and said “My child, I made your hands and they are weak for My glory!  I can make them do what I want when I want.  Out of love do as I ask and all things will be possible.”

As I got out of bed and I fixed some coffee and then I typed this out!  My Love brought all of this back to mind and yet there is so much more I saw but all I can tell I have told.

Many will say I am fool.  Some may say I am deceived.  Some will sing and dance louder and harder so they will not hear.  But some will listen and hear not my words but the song of My Love!  I rejoice at that.

This was not given to me because I am special but because I am weak.  This was not given to me because I am good because I am not.  I truly do not know why it was given to me except that My Love wanted to and to me that is enough.

I share this with you as showed to me December8, 2017 at 5634 Kalispell Way Knoxville, Tennessee.  May My Love through this sing His song into your heart and life!  That is my prayer and song to you and for you.

To My Love be all glory and honor and as I serve Him may I make Him smile!

                                                          Yours in Christ,

                                                          Ronald Ramsey

December 5, 2017 Tuesday

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.

“Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” Luke 6:20–26

            The Beatitudes should be a part of our preparation for Advent. Through the Beatitudes we see the danger of being full and of no longer being hungry as well as seeing ourselves as rich when we really are poor and in need.

Some will say the idea of being poor and rich has to do with money. But in reality what Jesus is talking about is those who feel spiritually rich and thus feel no need for God's grace. Those who feel they are full now and have no place for God in their lives.

Only when we see our need, our poverty, and we weep and grieve for the loss of our own soul do we understand our deep need for Jesus Christ. Only then can we understand the wonder and the majesty of what happened at Christmas. Only then can we understand that Christ came and took on our need, are poverty, are hungry, and our grief.

In this time of Advent take off your arrogance, your pride, and your sense of self ability and during Advent receive the gift of being poor. Receive the gift of being hungry for God. Receive the gift of being reviled and hated not for yourself but for the God whom you serve.

            I did not sleep well last night but awoke feeling rested.

Bonnie and I added an advent devotional to our morning time of prayer.  We are enjoying God is in the Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Here is a quote from today’s devotion. This devotional is available for Kindle.

“Thus Advent can be celebrated only by those whose souls give them no peace, who know that they are poor and incomplete, and who sense something of the greatness that is supposed to come, before which they can only bow in humble timidity, waiting until he inclines himself toward us—the Holy One himself, God in the child in the manger. God is coming; the Lord Jesus is coming; Christmas is coming. Rejoice, O Christendom!”

Here is the final lesson for the Upside World of Theology.  May bless you!

Chapter Fourteen

God loves you enough to accept you as you are, and loves you enough to not leave you there.

“8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:8-10 NKJV)

            The Bible is the True story of how God made everything “very good” and then about how we broke it all by our sin.  The story continues with God’s great effort to redeem and reclaim fallen humanity and creation rather than destroying it all.

            Looking at Romans 5:8-10 list all that God did for a broken and fallen humanity and creation.  (For this is what God has done for you!)

            If the thought that God has saved you and all that He has done for you does not make your heart beat faster and make you stand a little taller than I am sure you do not understand what this means!  For we who had no hope now have hope!  We who deserve hell can receive Heaven and knowing God Himself!

“17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18 NKJV)

            Perhaps even more amazing than God’s willingness to save us while we were still in our sin is that God makes provision for our growth in and through God’s grace.  Not only does God give us the opportunity for growth, but indeed God demands it.  And in the verse above we see why.  God understands for us to not fall from God’s grace back to the evil we once knew we must keep growing forward and strengthen our faith and our relationship with God.

            While not a Theology but a life lesson is that most of us progress through life by taking two steps forward and one step back!  If we do not move forward we will still take those occasional steps back and fall away from God and our new life!  We must move forward just to stay where we are. 

            Notice the language – beware!  Sometimes we are so prone to see God as authoritarian that we view this as a threat, but what if we see it as a warning of love!  “I do not want you to fall away or get lost!  I want you to continue to grow in God and be with God!”  And that is not only true for Peter but for God!  The key is the word “beloved”. 

            Is it not amazing that other Christians can see you as “beloved” but that God also does?  Wrap that around you and think about what it means that God considers you His “beloved”.   It reminds me of a song by Bill and Gloria Gaither that says:

“I am loved, I am loved
I can risk loving you
For the One who knows me best
Loves me most”

            God sees everything about you and knows everything about you yet STILL LOVES YOU as His “beloved”!  As the song continues God loves us even with our scars and shows us by His scars!

“I said if You knew You wouldn't want me
My scars are hidden by the face I wear
He said my child My scars go deeper
and It was love for you that put them there”

            You will never scare God away!  You will never surprise God with a sin and cause Him to leave you!  Remember God already knows the end from the beginning and suffered and died for you knowing everything! (The God who created time is not bound by it! Sort of a “timey whimey” thing!)

Read Psalm 22 and list the scars of God in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Compare them to your scars.

Peter talks about “being led away with the error of the wicked”.  What does that mean? (I can’t help but think of a metal ring in a bull’s nose!)

Find a scripture that reminds you of God’s constant and unfailing love and memorize it.  That verse will bring comfort and blessing to you and bring Light into your darkness, Hope into your despair and free you to love others as you are Loved!

Upside Down Theology

This is the Beginning!!!

            Over the last sessions those who have had the courage, fortitude or just had an incurable urge to see where this was going now must ask themselves what will I do with this. 

            We have the same question about what will I do with Jesus and in some ways they are part of each other. 

            My goal has never been to convince you that I am right.  Even I know better than that!  But my hope, my prayer and my goal is that as you went through these sessions that you would begin to develop your own Theology!  Or in other words you would get to know your best friend better! 

Please take time to list some things you learned through these sessions.  And yes, one of them can be that I have lost my mind.  For I lost my mind from the moment I came to Jesus and He is still working on it even now!  (I take a lot more work than most!  But I love the times God works on me for that is when we are closest!)

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            It is my prayer that you will enjoy many joyful times when God is working on you and helping you to become more like Him.  For me I enjoy the time together more than I do anything else about it.  I am constantly amazed that God enjoys so much spending time with such an upside down and obviously, shall we say unusual, person!  This is for the God who I enjoy and who enjoys me!  And this is for my wife Bonnie and my children Sarah and Levi, Jonathan and Rebecca for having to put up with me and not having the advantage of being God!  Love to every One of you!   Ron Ramsey

         

I Am Loved by the Gaither Vocal Band

CHORUS
I am loved, I am loved
I can risk loving you
For the One who knows me best
Loves me most
I am loved you are loved
Won't you please take my hand
We are free to love each other
We are loved

VERSE 1
I said if You knew You wouldn't want me
My scars are hidden by the face I wear
He said my child My scars go deeper
and It was love for you that put them there

CHORUS

VERSE 2
Forgiven I repeat it I'm forgiven
Clean before my Lord, I freely stand
Forgiven I can dare forgive my brother
Forgiven I reach out to take your hand

CHORUS

TAG
We are free to love each other, we are loved

Read more: Gaither Vocal Band - I Am Loved Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

December 4, 2017 Monday

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor. Isaiah 11:1—4a

            That which has been cut off will be the stump from which the hope of all eternity and all of creation shall grow from!  The line of David produced bad king to worse king and finally Israel was judged by God, found guilty and punished horrifically. 

            But from the stump would come the Christ Child who would fulfill all the promises of God and the hope of all creation!  From failure, defeat, sinfulness and defilement would come the Son of God who by wisdom and understanding will judge us righteously.  Even the poor will find a right judgment and a righteous Judge. 

            We wait for the hope of God to rise from our stump and for the Righteous Judge to be born into this most unrighteous world.  From the stump of unrighteous kings will come a most Righteous Judge who will see beyond what we are to what God has created us to be!

            We wait for this Righteous Judge to return and to make a new heaven and a new earth!  We wait for His coming to be made new ourselves and to once again be able to see God face to face!

            LOOK AND WAIT!  The Shoot is breaking forth and the Branch is growing!

            After sleeping a long time I hoped I would have a good day but it was still a struggle.  It has been a while since I have had what I used to consider a good day. Now a good day is what I used to consider a bad day. I seem to be able to do less and less and my hands seem to struggle more. I have started using the Google speech to type my messages or just my blog.

But God is so good in that the worse I get the more I feel His presence and strength. Bonnie and Rebecca and Jonathan are such a big help to me and I bless God for them. I know Sarah and Levi keep me in their thoughts and prayers and that helps me so much. I thank God for each day and for each blessing.

December 3, 2017 Sunday – The First Sunday of Advent – The Sunday of hope!

20 “ Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:20 NLT

            LOOK!  This First Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of hope!  We light the first candle on the Advent Wreath and we begin our journey to the Christ Child and to hope!

            We have built the door to our hearts and lives to keep God out and over the years we have made that door strong and have made the locks firm! 

We stick our fingers in our ears so we will not hear the knocking.  Why won’t He stop knocking?  Why won’t He leave us in our peace, or pieces?  Doesn’t He know we love our burnt out lives and our ravaged families and cities?  PLEASE GO AWAY!

            But wait?  Where is the sliver of Light coming from?  We find hope rushing into our hearts and our ears are opened.  Is that knocking we hear?  Who is that knocking so fervently?  The sliver of Light is coming through the key hold!  Should I open the door?  Who will we find on the other side?  We reach for the door.

            I didn’t go to Worship in the morning so I could go to the Hanging of the Greens since Bonnie was playing and Jonathan and Rebecca were singing.  It was an amazing time of Worship but it was so painful.  I did the Chair Yoga earlier to get more limber.  But I was totally worn out.

www.therescueministries.org

This is Lesson 14 of the Upside Down World of Theology Study.

Chapter Thirteen 

God never asks anything of you that He hasn’t already given you.

“29 ¶ And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 "Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so. 31 ¶ Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:29-31 NKJV)

            There is an old saying, “You can’t out give God!”  In Genesis we see that everything we are, everything we have and even everything we want is a gift from God.  And not only did God give it to us but everything God gave us was “very good,”

            Notice that God not only gives us herbs, trees and fruit, but the seed to make those things perpetual.  All the other creatures were not only created for us by God, but were given life!  And again we see that all the creatures to whom God gave life were made “very good.”

            And then we have this statement, “So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”  For God also gave us time and filled it with days of mornings and evenings.  We have weeks, months, years and decades that we can live in and enjoy all of the “very good” things God created as well as the people who are in our lives.

List three of the most important things God has given you. 

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Why did you choose these three?

“"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

            Even if God asks you to give your life for Him we are compelled by the fact that God was not only willing to offer His “only begotten Son” for us but did.  And this verse doesn’t cover the sacrifice of Jesus suffering and dying for us!

            Sometimes we lose our appreciation of the agape (Godly sacrificial love) love God has for us which can be seen in the Father offering His Son and in Jesus willingly offering His life! 

            A study of gods worshipped by human beings shows that they usually demand human beings to be sacrificed rather than offering themselves for their followers.   Even the Muslim God Allah is a harsh god demanding perfection and never offering any assurance of your security or hope!

            But God’s love does not demand our perfection as much as His love seeks to perfect us so we can have a loving relationship with Him experienced in prayer, God revealing Himself in the Scripture and in being guided by His Holy Spirit.

            Such a God in not only worth living for but worth dying for!

            There is an old story that as the early Christians were dying in the arena that unbelievers in the stadiums would actually jump in with them saying that while the Christians has something worth dying for they didn’t have anything to live for!

Does God have the right to ask you to die for Him? 

Can you share three reasons either way?

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During the shooting at Columbine some of the shooters would ask students if they were a Christian.  If they said yes they would be killed.  How would you answer?

(While we can never be sure how we would respond to such a question I think preparing ourselves for that question can help us make the choice to give ourselves for God, who gave Himself for us!)

Does giving yourself for God mean just dying for Him or can it also mean to live for Him? 

What would this mean to you?