The Morning Dew

The Word of God often compares His people to the life giving dew. Like the dew, God's people nourish His creation humbly; silently; and almost without perception or appreciation. As the dews of heaven, His lambs choose, as their time of refreshment, a  darkened world where all men are sleeping, and few can see their silent, life giving work. They cover the leaves with clusters of pearls. They impart into the bosoms of the flowers, and leaves new cupfuls of sweet life. They pour themselves down among the roots of the grasses and tender herbs and plants, losing themselves altogether, and yet they are not lost. For in the morning there is fresh life everywhere, and new beauty. The fields are greener, the gardens are more fragrant, and all nature is clothed in His fresh luxuriance.

Here, my friends, is our blueprint, our heavenly paradigm for service in His Kingdom; that we should be willing to lose ourselves in the self-forgetful love of His calling and service;  as the dew loses itself in the bosom of the rose — caring only that other lives shall be sweeter, happier, and holier — and not that honor shall come to us. We are too anxious, many of us, that our names shall be written in large letters on the things we do, even on what we do for our Master; and are not willing to sink ourselves out of sight — and let Him alone have the praise.

Our Lord's teaching on the subject is very plain. He says: "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full." That is, they have that which they seek — the applause of men.

This is an insightful test, both to God and to us, of our relationship with Him. Are we willing to be as the dew — to steal abroad in the darkness, carrying blessings to men's doors, blessings that shall enrich the lives of others and do them good — and then steal away again before those we have helped or blessed awaken, to know what hand it was that brought the gift? Are we willing to work for others . . .without gratitude ... without recognition ... without human praise ... without requital?

Are we content to have our lives poured out like the dew — to bless the world and make it more fruitful — and yet remain hidden away ourselves? Is it enough for us to see the fruits of our toil and sacrifice — in others' spiritual growth, and deeper happiness; yet never hear our names spoken in praise or honor — perhaps even hearing others praised for things we have done?

Hear what the Word has to say, my friends:
Psa 110:3  Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Psa 110:4  The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Lambs are not only marked by a glad obedience to our risen Lord, but that obedience rests upon the service of sacrifice. The word here rendered ‘willing’ is translated throughout  the Old Testament as freewill offerings. As priests after the order of Melchizedek, adorned in the beauties of His righteousness, birthed into this fallen world from the womb of Heaven itself, the sacrifice we have come to offer, is ourselves. It is this obedience, this willing, silent sacrifice that God accounts as the morning dews, bringing life and refreshment to His creation; and wafting a sweet smell of incense throughout the corridors of Heaven.

The Lamb

The lamb, is of
Another Spirit,
From the multitude
That tread upon
The courts of the Lord:
He has seen,
That of which
They have only heard.
The journey he takes
Is not on his feet,
But in his heart:
He walks with God,
In the garden
Of his own soul;
And as the
Morning dew,
Loses itself in the
Blossom of the rose;
He is drawn in,
Softly absorbed,
Into the wonders
Of Infinite love.

brightclearing @ podbean

I have opened another podcast at podbean called bright clearing.
It will have its own separate material from Cunneda's Ramble. He has not told me to discontinue these, but He has led me to begin something new and different. Pray that I follow His lead.

The first podcast for this new channel is now going up. You may listen

at http://brightclearing.podbean.com/


Cunneda

The Word

That most people find the Bible hard; if not impossible, to understand cannot be denied. Testimony to these difficulties  is too full and too widespread to be dismissed. As a teacher of His Word, this lack of understanding, aside from outright unbelief or hostility, is the most common problem I confront. Many would tell you that there are many reasons and complex answers for this; I respectfully disagree; I believe that most folks find the Bible difficult simply because they have no real relationship with its Author.

The Word of God is not addressed to just anybody. Its message is directed to a chosen few. These few are chosen by God in a sovereign act of election; they were known by God from everlasting to everlasting; and have known Him before they knew life in this world of darkness, ruled by time.  But whatever may have taken place in eternity, it is obvious what happens in time: some believe and some do not; some are  receptive and some are not; some have spiritual capacity and some have not. It is to those who do and are and have that the Bible is addressed. Those who do not and are not and have not will read it in vain -- in the words of our Lord; even the little they have shall be taken from them.

Right here, I know that some listeners will either turn me off, or enter  strenuous objections, and for reasons that are clear to see in every church across the land. Christianity, or more to the point. churchianity, today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is expected to wait patiently, even respectfully, on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a feeble, distracted Father, struggling in heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a Saviour in whom they feel no need and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficient souls to respond to His generous offers God will do almost anything, even using mass marketing and high tech video with contemporary music, while  talking down, and watering down His message to the lowest common denominator imaginable.  This view of things while it often uses flattering and sometimes lovey-dovey terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man, a man other than Yeshua, our risen Lord, the star of the show. Just take a look at any of these mega-churches, or their rock star pastors --- case closed!

The notion that the Bible is addressed to everybody has wrought confusion within and without the body of Christ. The effort to apply the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount to the unregenerate masses of the world is but one example of this. Courts of law and the military powers of the earth are urged to follow the teachings of Christ, an obviously impossible thing for them to do. To quote the words of Christ as guides for policemen, judges and generals is to misunderstand those words completely and to reveal a total lack of understanding of the purposes of divine revelation. The life giving words of Christ are for the sons and daughters of grace, who will receive that life, not for those who merely seek a momentary diversion while leading a life dedicated to chasing and whoring around with the dragon; neither are they given to hostile nations or groups whose chosen symbols are a lion, an eagle, a bear, a crescent, a star, a compass, or the virgin.

Not only does God address His words of truth to those who are able to receive them, He actually conceals their meaning from those who are not. The preacher uses stories to make truth clear; our Lord often used them to obscure it. The parables of Christ were the exact opposite of the modern "illustration," which is meant to give light; the parables were "dark sayings" and Christ asserted that He sometimes used them so that His disciples could understand and His enemies could not. As the pillar of fire gave light to Israel but was cloud and darkness to the Egyptians, so our Lord's words shine in the hearts of His people but leave the self-confident unbeliever in the obscurity of spiritual midnight.

The  power of the Word is reserved for those for whom it is intended. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him. The impenitent heart will find the Bible but a skeleton of words without flesh or life or breath. Stephen King, Shakespeare, or Louis La More may be enjoyed without either belief or penitence; we may understand Einstein, Plato, or Stephen Hawking without knowing anything about these men, or truly believing anything they say; but knowledge, penitence, and belief, along with faith and obedience are absolutely essential to a right understanding of the Scriptures. This is why God's Word will always be a mystery to the natural man; for you see, he has turned God's promises upside down, and therefore can see only distortion and delusion. In the world of the natural man, faith follows evidence and is impossible without it, but in the realm of the spirit, the language of His Living Word, faith precedes understanding; it does not follow it. The natural man must know in order to believe; the spiritual man  believes in order to know. We are of a different order. The faith that restores and renews is not a conclusion drawn from evidence; it is a heavenly thing, a thing of the spirit, a supernatural impartation and infusion, not only of belief and confidence, but also of knowledge of Him and a burning desire for His communion, deep within our hearts.

This is what makes us different, we see because it is placed within us to see, we understand, because He is within us, and we know Him. This faith, which is the only key to any effective understanding, reposes in Him; and it comes to us only when He resides within us. To rightly understand the Word is a supernatural act of God, just as much as were Christ's miracles, and His resurrection. These are impossible acts to the natural man; and explain why the things of God will always be a mystery to him.

The simple truth is that without the grace of God; that natural man cannot understand because it was not given to him to understand -- he has chosen darkness, and darkness will be his lot.

I Can See Her Still

Was it a dream?
Or just a time,
Lost in thought?
I can not say.
Yet I saw her then;
I can see her still,
In her gown
Of tattered white.
Stricken, and bowed,
So marred by pain,
and by tears;
That men shrank
From her, as one
Smitten of God.
Wrestling with the
Burden of her anguish;
She kneels in the dust:
Her head downcast,
As if hope had fainted;
Her beloved lyre,
Broken in her hand.
Resting upon a rock;
She presses to her ear
The one unbroken string,
As though catching
At the sweet music,
Of another place.
Softly, she smiles,
And pulls her hair
Away from her eyes,
As she rises slowly,
And makes her way,
Alone, down the path.

A Serene Apocalypse

This play of life,
Is a snowflake
On the pond:
A moment white,
Then gone forever;
Yea, without the Wine,
There is but
The empty cup.

Tears, falling
On the icy brow
Of death,
Can not redeem
The years:
Flowers on the grave,
Cast no
Backward fragrance
Over weary days.

Each small fragment:
Cupfulls of time;
In which our years
Come upon us;
Are buds of being:
Seed times, of a sort,
Unto Eternity:
A serene apocalypse,
In the hands
Of a loving God.

Emmanuel

In the process of time,
Did it come to pass:
Unto us a child was born,
Unto us a Son was given;
In Him was Life; and the Life,
Was a Light unto men;
That all men, through Him,
Might believe in the Light;
For His Light is life,
Unto all who believe.
And they called His name:
Emmanuel.


Merry Christmas to all !!!

Cunneda

Oh Ye Who Sigh

Oh, ye who sigh,
And languish,
Who mourn
Your lack of power,
Hear ye not
His plaintive sigh:
“Could ye not watch
With Me one hour?”
For His fruitfulness
And blessing
There is no simple road;
The power for
This walk of ours
Comes on your knees,
With God.

'Tis The Season To Be Jolly?

Run, run Rudolph: Reindeer spotted on Ohio highway


No one spotted Santa Claus, but several drivers say they encountered a reindeer as they drove along a northeast Ohio highway.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports  drivers on state Route 21 in Norton had to dodge the reindeer Sunday morning after it fell from the back of a livestock truck and walked down the middle of lanes.

Patrolman Kevin Starling grabbed a harness on the reindeer and pulled it out of traffic while an off-duty firefighter stopped oncoming vehicles.

Starling says the reindeer suffered road rash and a broken antler.

Authorities say the livestock truck was headed to a party when it hit a bump and the doors opened, allowing the reindeer to fall out. Officers found the truck and returned the reindeer to its owner.

I Guess anyone can have a bad day -- even a raindeer -- interesting timing though -- haha (my commentary; of course)


Drunken Santas Terrorized Lower Manhattan During SantaCon

SOUTH STREET SEAPORT — Thousands of drunken Santas terrorized Lower Manhattan when they flooded into the neighborhood for SantaCon earlier this month, openly flouting public drinking and urination laws, locals say.

Angry residents attended Community Board 1's Monday night meeting to complain about the latest incarnation of the annual pub crawl, whose participants have been allowed to grow more rowdy every year, they say.

"There was public urination, people vomiting all over the place, open containers and no police," said John Fratta, chairman of the Seaport/Civic Center Committee which plans to send an angry missive to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and the 1st Precinct complaining about the lack of enforcement during SantaCon.

The committee said that the NYPD devoted more resources to Occupy Wall Street than to SantaCon, and asked police for a better response at the neighborhood's next expected pub-crawl on St. Patrick's Day.

"The mayor put so much power on Occupy Wall Street, he had Downtown under lock and key — but he forgot about Santa," said Ann DeFalco, a member of Community Board 1's Seaport/Civic Center Committee, at a meeting Monday night.

Residents said they saw unruly Santas buying six-packs of bottled beer on Fulton Street, then standing in the middle of the street drinking them and shattering the empty glass bottles on the ground.

The mayor's office referred questions Tuesday morning to the NYPD. The NYPD did not return requests for comment.

CB1 staff said they spoke to Santacon organizers, who acknowledged that they had recieved complaints and planned to make changes for next year, a CB1 representative said.

SantaCon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On its website, the group wrote, "Santa does not accept corporate sponsorship or speak to the press."

Paul Hovitz, a CB1 member, suggested that people who want to dress up as Santa should do a good deed rather than just drinking.

"Instead of going to pubs, they should go to senior centers and do something productive," Hovitz said.

"Santa should be associated with milk and cookies, not beer."

'Tis the season to be jolly -- right? (my commentary)

An Eventide Devotional

An Eventide Devotional, Volume 24

Filling-Up For The Journey,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/

Cunneda

An Eventide Devotional

An Eventide Devotional, Volume 23:

To Live Is Christ ....... To Die Is Gain,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/

Cunneda

To Live Is Christ ... To Die Is Gain

I have seen visions, my friends, of a coming nightmare with death on a scale that is unimaginable and it will be directed at us; the redeemed lambs of Almighty God; and it is even now at the door ..... now do the ravens sing, my friends; for they will come upon us; grim and growling as the gray wolf ....... stand and prevail, that thy heart may be found faithful ....... know ye not; that this is the hour for which we were born ....... seek not the life of this world, but stand upon the promise of life given by God to all who love Him and seek His ways; for what they see as an end, we know to be but a glorious beginning.

Psa 42:2  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Psa 42:3  My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

Php 1:21  for to me to live is Christ, and to die gain.
Php 1:22  And if to live in the flesh is to me a fruit of work, then what shall I choose? I know not;
Php 1:23  for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,
Php 1:24  and to remain in the flesh is more necessary

What horrors and fears come upon the worlders, and the carnally-minded, when they think of their death! Yet no prospect affords me such comfort as that of my death and final transformation. I have exceeding great cause to rejoice, when I compare what I now am and suffer — with what I shall then enjoy and be.

Now my joys are fleeting; and often fail to live up to expectations — then, they shall be perfectly present, and fulfilling eternally.

Now I walk by faith, and live on hope.  —  Then I shall know, for I shall see Him face to face, as I shall then dwell in His light, and feed at His table.

Now I am daily struggling with death and sin — but then I shall eternally triumph over both.

Now I toil along a wearisome road — but then I shall walk above these skies along the wondrous highways of heaven.

Now my eyes rove from vanity to vanity — but then they shall see, even fix upon our Risen Lord in His highest glory.

Now I live among stalkers, vampires, and beasts whose daily aim is to create strife, turmoil, fear, and pain — but then I shall dwell among the multitudes of the redeemed, with angels and archangels — in the glorious presence of the Living God.

Now I often bemoan myself as the frail inhabitant of a feeble body — but then I shall be possessed of all the vigor of immortality — of all the briskness of eternal life.

Now I have foes without, and foes within, to grapple with on a  daily basis --- the sin within my nature, and the follies of my heart; in addition to enemies from this dark and forboding world, both seen, and unseen.

Now, imperfection is stamped . . .
upon all that I feel ....... upon all I desire ....... upon all my joys and sorrows ....... and, truth be told, upon all I do.

What says the sigh, which daily escapes from my heavy heart?
Imperfect

What says the groan, which ascends from my troubled soul?
Imperfect

What says the tear, which so often  rolls down my cheek?
Imperfect

But there is perfection in Christ! In Him . . . our full and eternal perfection is decreed, promised, provided for. It will be realized in heaven, when we see Him as He really is—and shall be made like Him!— but then, triumphing over every foe, I shall sing of the glories of our Lord, and never cease from this matchless, this inexhaustible theme.

Now I often stagger my way along the road of life  — but then, renewed into His His divine likeness, I shall dwell with the Ancient of days, and enjoy the dearest and most intimate communion with Jehovah and the Lamb forever ....... then an endless eternity shall be ours, and our joy shall be as durable as it is desirable; and as permanent as it is pleasant .......then in the light of His countenance, in the brightness of His glory, shall we walk on forever.

Now, my friends, this raging midnight through which we pass, has spread its shadow over all we see and touch ....... yet amidst the blackest gloom that dwells within this darkness,  blinding the natural man, the soul of the lamb is at no loss to view the realities surrounding him -- both visible and invisible -- through the light of his faith ....... and this light, His light will guide us safely home through even the most dense darkness that envelopes and hinders us.

What is, for the world, a bitter end; is for the lamb of God, a whole new beginning beyond our wildest dreams ....... as Paul himself said: 1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

So, I tell you, as this darkness begins to collapse and feed upon itself, and death is on every doorstep, take courage in His promise and His truth ....... stand without fear against the coming onslaught ....... for if you are hid in Him, there is nothing they can do to separate you out ....... and when they have done all they are able, our life will be transformed, in the twinkling of an eye, into the freedom of His image, crowned with His glory ....... for all eternity. We shall then be gloriously free ....... our whole person, body, soul, and spirit — will be in perfect liberty: free from the curse ....... free from every foe — and all fears .......free from every fault — and all our failings ....... free from frailty — and, at last, free from all internal, external, and eternal evil.

For it was this very vision that prompted both the psalmist, and Paul to exclaim ....... My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? ....... for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

An Eventide Devotional

An Eventide Devotional,

Volume 22:

An Insignificant Hell,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/


Cunneda

I Will Instruct Thee

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.  Psalm 32:8

At best, my friends, we know but little of God and His Kingdom -- and we are very slow to learn. But the Lord has promised to instruct us.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, He says. Here the Lord is the speaker, and gives the psalmist an answer to his prayer. Our Saviour is our instructor. The Lord himself reaches out, as it were, to teach his children to walk in His way, directed by His Holy Spirit, and bounded by His Word. We are not pardoned that we may  live after our own lusts, but that we may be schooled in holiness and trained for perfection. An education in the waters of Heaven  is one of the wondrous covenant blessings of our adoption: "All thy children shall be taught by the Lord." Though we have never set at the foot of a Gamaliel or an Aristotle; or gone to Harvard or Yale; we have  learned to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. I will guide thee with mine eye, He says;  as servants take their cue from the master's eye, and a nod  is all that they require, so shall we learn to obey the slightest hints of our Master, not needing thunderbolts to startle us, but being prompted by whispers and the small touches of love.


The Lord's teaching always produces . . .
humility, and a proper view of self ....
confidence in God, and a zeal for His glory and His Kingdom ....
and builds a heart devoted to Christ!

Our Father's teaching always . . .
bring us to the feet of Yeshua, and
delivers us through His shed blood ....
enlightening us with the power of His Truth.

This threefold repetition, I will instruct thee, I will teach thee, I will guide thee, is to show us, and teach us of the love, power, and faithfulness of all three faces of Yahweh: the Spirit to bring understanding; the Son to go before us; and the Father to watch over us, and our ways.

Under Divine instruction we learn . . .
the true nature of life and creation ..... within the fullness of our risen Savior... and the certain knowledge of His victory ....
juxtaposed against the vile coldness of the evil one ... with all the devastation he brings ....
while careening to his own doom.

It is a marvelous thing; that all heaven is ready to instruct us, my friends.With this in mind,  let us be early and often at His throne of grace, praying, as the Psalmist did, "Show me Your ways, O LORD, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me -- for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." Psalm 25:4-5. Then shall we exclaim, as Elihu did, "God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him!" Job 36:22

The Lord  sanctifies us unto Him through the truth He imparts. For He is our lesson , my friends, and to know Him is to know His life, His peace and His joy.

Do you sit at His feet? .... do you treasure and feast upon His Words? ... does your life show forth His praise?

Learn of Him ... know of His intimacies ... live within Him ... and He will counsel thee, and His eye will cover thee.

Psa 25:9  The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
Psa 25:10  All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Psa 33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy

"Teach me Your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path!" Psalm 27:11

Cunneda's Ramble

Cunneda's Ramble, Volume 44:

A Word,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/

Cunneda

An Eventide Devotional

An Eventide Devotional,

Volume 20: A Tale of the Heart,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/

Cunneda

On The Road With Cunneda

On The Road With Cunneda,

Volume 26: The Thoughts Kept Coming,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/

Cunneda

Hold My Hand

So many dangers, Lord;
Shadows, well mounted,
On the high rocks
Of doubt and fear;
The beguiling gowns
Of temptation;
And the galling scorpion
Of indulged lust;
At all points,
The cold brush
Of the evil one,
Chills to the bone:
Hold my hand, tightly,
As we cross
This hollow land.

An Eventide Devotional

An Eventide Devotional, Volume 19:

Nothing Is Left To Chance,

is now up @

http://cunneda.podomatic.com/

Cunneda

Nothing Is Left To Chance

"My times are in Your hand!" Psalm 31:15

Every event is under Divine control. Nothing is left to 'chance'.

Act 1:7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Deu 29:29  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God

Our times are in His hands. Almighty God holds in his own hand all the issues of our life; we are not  strays upon the ocean of fate, but are steered by His infinite wisdom.

Our times, and our fate are not in the hands of our enemies; not the conditions or our life, or the time of our death. The clear teaching of the Word, which we read earlier, is that all lambs live only at the direction and appointment of God, our lives are in His hands, and its parameters are fixed by Him; nor can our enemies take away our lives before His time; or harm us in ant way, without His permission. Read the book of Job; read the gospels -- satan could not attack Job without permission -- he could not sift Peter without the permission of our Heavenly Father. Oh my friends, learn this fact  tonight, if you hear nothing else. These vampires, stalkers, and their mindless gnomes cannot interrupt your life in any way without God's consent, unless you give them power through your unrepented sin, or your fear and unbelief -- as a lamb, you must give before they can take. Not all the highest powers of darkness can take even one hour from your life without His consent. Our Father in Heaven will be the Director of the lives of His children; and NO ONE else! The hand of God is in all that occurs: directing, overruling, and sanctifying everything to our good and His glory. All of our times: times of trouble; times of prosperity and of adversity; of darkness, desertion, and temptation; and of joy, peace, and comfort; these are all in the hands of our Lord, at His disposal, and ordered by Him for the good of His servants, and for the glory of His own name. Understand this truth, my friends, incorporate it into you very soul -- seek Him, and ask if it be true -- search His Word: for with this truth, you take away all the power of the enemy -- you strip him naked, only to see that his only power is fear and bluster. Stand in the Lord, my friends, stand firm in His Word, His Truth, and His blood; and they will flee from you in disarray.

Does this mean that they will stop the attacks? No; you must remember they are mindless and often soulless, many are mere fodder; and they will keep on coming. Does this mean that they will never trouble our lives? No; there are times, even many times that the Lord allows evil days to come upon us in order to purity or discipline us. What is does mean is that He appointed everything that concerns us, and He applies all in His infinite wisdom and love. As He says in His Word, My purpose shall stand — and I will do all My pleasure. This, my  friends, testifies to our strength, and our comfort; that He takes such pleasure in the welfare of His children, and in the lives of His servants.     


My friends, a lamb has many enemies, simply because of his existence. The powers of darkness can see His light that He has placed within you; this light itself will bring them upon you. The wicked, and their mindless ones will persecute you, if at all possible, in one way or another -- by either words or deeds. As strange as it sounds, this is as it was meant to be: for their attacks only result in driving us closer to our Father, which is His intent. For only here, under the shadow of His wing, and with His strength an power, can we even begin to stand, and fight that fight that He has called us to, in these chaotic times. So you see, my friends, that even satan's small successes only result in hastening his doom; the only thing he accomplishes in driving down a lamb, is the creation of a more powerful spiritual warrior.


Everything that touches us passes under our Father's eye, and is directed by His Holy Spirit for our good and His glory. Therefore, my friends, by neither anxious, troubled, or cast down -- Our Lord God Omnipotent Reigns! He is your Father, your God, and your strength; He shall preserve you. Know this for sure; it shall never be as our enemies wish; or even as our hearts sometimes fear; but only as our Heavenly Father pleases, and has ordained; and this is both a comfort and an assurance.

I end with the witness of His Word; two from the Old Testament, and one from the New Testament:


In Psalms -- A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

And in Jeremiah -- And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible

Lastly, in the Gospel of John -- Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

At Close Quarters

Wisdom enjoins:
As breath is to life,
Prayer is to grace.
Pouring out the soul
To the Father of Lights
in unutterable spasms.
As a freewill offering:
Solemnly; eternally,
Devoted to Him,
Binding one to another.


Uniting as one,
A hidden Fire
Trembles in the breast.
The burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
When none but God is near.
For He delights in the
Sweet smell of Sacrifice
Rising in His altar,                                                           
Of the heart.


Angels in their songs rejoice;
We pray ....... I pray;
Saints unite in prayer.
A source; and an end,
In word, soul, and deed;
We supplicate ....... we receive.
Love to pray ....... pray to love;
We beseech thee Lord,
Teach us to pray.
Amen.



"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." They wave their arms and cry out loud, clapping the sky in search of a God that most will never find, because they seek amiss. He whom they seek is either found within; or He will not be found at all. As it says clearly in the Word:   I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. ...........  commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. .......... Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.  All His lambs know this instinctively; almost from the moment of their awakening; for the witness of the Spirit always agrees with the witness of the Word; and His Word is clear.

In Isaiah, we are told that God dwells in eternity -- in Ecclesiastes, it is said that He has placed eternity within our hearts -- when the question was asked, "Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?" -- the clear answer was, and is, "The preparations of the heart in man is from the Lord." It is here, my friends, that His temple sits, and here, He dwells -- within us --within the very center of our being -- our hearts. It is here He speaks to us; here we pray; and here He responds: "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Oh Lord, will I seek."


All this is fitting, and as it should be, for we are His creation, created in His image, and called out by Him to be His people. Because we are His creation, and His people, He has placed His home (eternity) within us that when He awakens us; He might have a dwelling place within us. He is always with us -- always our shield and our strength -- always our comfort and our joy -- because He is always within us -- within that special place that He has created in our hearts.

 Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Joh 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

You see, my friends, when we awake unto our Lord, we do not go to Him as much as He takes up residence in us; and from here, in the driver's seat, He guides and directs us; and from here, in His Temple, He hears our pleas.
So when we say that you must look and pray within; it is to this Temple of Almighty God within each of His lambs that we are pointing at, to that glorious house He has prepared and inhabited within you from even before you were awakened -- from even before you were created. You see, my friends, this house, this temple, is also His witness to you that you were created in eternity, for eternity, by the Eternal One; and that you are His eternally: for the Eternal One dwells only in eternity; and He has placed that eternity within us ....... eternally.

We seek,
And partake,
At close quarters
With the Living God;
For  the Holy One,
Inhabits the lives
Of His people;
He is
The Living Breath
Of all His lambs.