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[Deborah-Leigh]

I feel like Santa clause seeing his work shop of all the toys now finished but having to be placed into homes around the world. The feeling is daunting. Which toys go where and to who and how. There are simply too many!
I go to work (the Biltong shop) and notice the African violet on my desk where the Biltong cutter and radio shelter between them, the little pot plant that is showing that one flower has opened its face perfectly. It is with all the dead ones that need to be clipped off! It feels like me. I am like that solitary flower in the pot.
Kerry, my Malawian helper, laughs and tells me how he helped a buyer of our biltong, purchase not only the biltong but the dry worse and the chili bites too. He is happy to have made a one hundred rand purchase, expand into a three hundred rand purchase! He tells me that he decided to sing like his Boss, (me) does, when I am in the shop. This is so sweet as my dear husband Abrie, read to me 2Co 9:10  And God who continually supplies seed for the sower and bread for eating, will supply you with seed and multiply it, and will cause your almsgiving to yield a plentiful harvest. As I left our home on my way to work, I was inspired to ask him to read from his collection of prayer verses both our son, God caused to buy for him. I have a box too and from it I read Psa 98:1  A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for He hath done marvelous things: His Right Hand, and His Holy Arm, hath gotten Him the Victory…..and that is not the one either as I search for it on my e-sword! God is speaking loud and clear!!
The psalm I read was about walking in the way of the Lord and asking the Lord to TEACH ME
I return to e-sword and type in “Teach me” and here it is and it sends chills through me, because I decide that if I were to show anything about our God, it would be that we have, I have no free will….Fearing God can only come once we are shown by our God that there is no such thing as free will!
Psa 86:11  Teach me Thy Way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy Truth: unite my heart to fear Thy Name.
My day in the shop takes off…I have already sold to a cyclist and the drive-way staff have come to ask for a bucket and so much more…..and here I am with you on my heart and mind…life in God’s motion of love and joy. I have seen the loving replies written in the Forum from Janine, the joke from our brother Grape, the concerns openly shared by Samson, and recalling the beautiful edification's and insights God is working through Marques, Kat and all the others here ~  too many to mention. I am so happy to belong among you all.
I woke up this morning thinking of a needle and the fine requirement for the thread to be put through the eye….all my brothers and sisters here, all so beautiful and equally important to the tapestry of God's making.
Blessings to you my sweet and loving brethren, called by God to gather and unite in Him.
Your sister
Arc

[grapehound]

What wonderful sentiments Arc.
This was the first post I read on waking up and you just made my day.
You just reminded me how important it is to begin each new precious day with a grateful heart.
" The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, (Lam 3:23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness)."

Please allow me:


I always try to start the day with a smile and when I'm half asleep, I'm not the sharpest tool in the box. My befuddled brain didn't immediately get the metaphor of Santa in the toy shop.! So when you slipped into Biltong, I was thinking, "What the ?......."    . ROLF !!

I saw all the faces of the world's kids, excitedly unwrapping the glittering paper, only to find a strap of jerky !!
I can't type for giggling !! Deb, you set me off like a machine gun ! Thank you.
Threading needles? Well that made it even worse! As you know I have eyes like a potato! I couldn't thread a hose through a window !!
I thank God for the gift of laughter!
I really needed this. Forgive me if I negate the beauty of your lovely post with my silliness.
You're a constant source of joy to me, as are all of His children here.

Every Blessing

Dissolving Grape x

[G. Driggs]

Thanks Arc, blessings back to you and all the brethren. That was very encouraging and inspiring.

I'm know when you say "all" you mean ALL. I was reminded of a statement you made a few months back, and it was something like  any one of us being called has just as much chance of being saved as anyone else here, even the quiet ones who do not say much, but still drink the same spiritual Drink. That is not word for word what you said, but this is what I got out of it. Thank you Arc.

1Co 12:20  As it is, there are many members, yet one body.
1Co 12:21  The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
1Co 12:22  On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
1Co 12:23  and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;
1Co 12:24  whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member,
1Co 12:25  that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.

2Co 8:13  I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between
2Co 8:14  your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.
2Co 8:15  As it is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little." (Exo 16:18)

Ray wasn't kidding when he said the Apostle Paul was an "spiritual giant".

You have helped me so much lately, and your love ( which God gave you), which you have voluntarily shared with and for ALL the Brethren is obvious. I'm humbled to have shared in The Manna from Heaven with you and all.

Peace,

G.Driggs

[Deborah-Leigh]

Dear brothers Grape and George

First Gary ~

I wondered what you would be receiving there in Liverpool as I was editing the post to put Capitals in the Scriptures.    I saw you on the top line sitting next to me as I was going in and out of the post, making modifications.   No one else was on board at the time. So if it was the biltong Santa combination that threw you, that’s okay! Lol

Your explanation of how this testimony landed into your brain, as you woke up in the morning  ~  is so funny. …only to find a strap of jerky!! Well dear brother, permit me to educate you please. Jerky is so far from what Biltong is!  Jassy will know what Biltong is and our dear brothers and sisters in the USA also cannot make the leap between the Jerky and the Biltong!   lol    You crack me up, and I so appreciate the comments and magical joy you bless this post with ~  as glitter, lighting and glinting the edges of my minds perceptions. In the time line, I am only reading your reply in the afternoon! Oh...there was no paper on the toys!...hah ha ha....It's a metaphor for sure! No reindear either!

Time gaps, glitter, glinting edges, toys that universally make kids happy all over the world… like spiritually God’s kids aching for the surprise gift of learning that God is Love.

The inspired Scriptures you were presented and shared are ……. Magnificent.

Blessings to you brother

George ~ Your honesty, self scrutiny and joy in our Lord and His Word has always blessed me too. Particularly those Scriptures the Lord blessed to rise up into your heart to see and share with us all here in the Thread “We shall see God” blessed the socks off me dear brother. I didn’t tell you, so now’s the chance. The underlined points that you brought to our attention, really got my attention. Talk about paying attention to the words!
 
Fond Blessings to you too brother ~ God is speaking to you in those moments of one on one with Him in His amazing Love for you. ...and ALL.


Arc

[grapehound]

Dear Deborah.
I stand utterly corrected! I do appreciate the quantum differece between Biltong and jerky, I was being derisory for comic effect ! ( not really, but that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it  )

George, dearest Brother, that's the second time today you have lifted my spirit.
Bless you. It's as though the Lord has been pointing me out to you, " Aim over here son, there he is. (Grape scuttles to another thread.) "There he is, son, take another shot !" Good shootin' bro. You can have anything from the Top Shelf! 

Janine ! Quite a thread hey? You remember that PM ? Lots of love.

What a perfect oasis this place is,  Church in Spirit, floating in cyberspace.
What a Blessed generation we are !

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Muchest Luv

Grape x

[Deborah-Leigh]

Oh my GOSH…what a CLASSIC! This is such a happy, lovely party we are having here! Janine I am so happy you too are being Blessed and lifted. We love you! And George, I had no idea Grape was looking for you with a shot gun!  aiming for the top shelf lol...look at that g.driggs, now will you take a look at that!......good one Grape! ..and Grape you are so gifted brother, and sensitive, deep and incisive...and FUNNY...  lol ...Yet did I get this correct?? WHO'S got the shot gun?...You're BOTH top shelf Brothers!

Yes...and of course Grape…to be Godly with contentment is great gain. THAT’s where the TOP SHELF IS brother!!...the great gain!... The Kingdom of our God and Savior! That's where it's at!

Pricelessness!....without money! ..it can not be bought! or earned!...or deserved! It is a GIFT from GOD!

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows……

Some of which can be fatal sorrows as evidenced in exhibit A, the world, proves!

Isa 52:3  For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Yes Grape….as you say, quote “Church in Spirit, floating in cyberspace.
What a Blessed generation we are !”

To underscore and confirm....quote from our Brother Ray...

Let’s pick up at our parting Scripture from Part VII of this Series:
"And Saul [Paul] was consenting unto his [Stephen’s] death. And at that time there was a GREAT PERSECUTION AGAINST THE CHURCH which was at Jerusalem; and they were ALL SCATTERED ABROAD throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles… As for Saul, he made HAVOCK of the church, entering into every house, and hailing men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were SCATTERED ABROAD went every where preaching the word" (Acts 8:1,3-4).
"THE" CHURCH VS. "MY" CHURCH
During Jesus’ ministry, He spoke of "the" church and "My" church. There already existed "the church" (Matt. 18:17), at the very time that Jesus said He would build "MY CHURCH" (Matt. 16:18). For fifteen centuries God established Israel as a church:
"This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, ‘A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear.’ This is HE, that was in the CHURCH in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers who received the lively oracles to give unto us: To whom our fathers WOULD NOT OBEY, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt" (Acts 7:37-39).
We could, of course, trace the church back through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, back to Noah, and indeed, back to Adam.
DEFINING "CHURCH"
Just what is a "church?" Strong’s Greek Dictionary, #1570. ekklesia, a calling out. (1b) Ekklesia, from ek, "out of," and klesis, "a calling…" So the church is those whom God has CALLED OUT to be His "called out ones," hence, Jesus said, "So the last shall be first, and the first shall be last [sorry, don’t have time to explain this unique statement of our Lord]: for many be called, but few chosen." I will take the time to explain this second statement, however.
Notice that the "called" and the "chosen" cannot be the same group, as one is "many" and the other is "few." God has given us a general statement as to whom He has called and whom He has not called. We already know the number of those called is "many." Now we will see the two general classifications of those called:
THE "CALLED" AND THE "NOT CALLED"
"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many [some, but not many] wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
But God has chosen the foolish things [many translations do not insert the word "things" in these verses] of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And the base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence" (I Cor. 1:26-29).
So we see that God calls MOSTLY those who are: weak, base, despised, nothings! Are we to believe that God is going to build a SPIRITUAL ARMY of Sons and Daughters by which He will conquer and SAVE THE WORLD?
Hard to believe, isn’t it? LOF part 8 L Ray Smith.

Blessings abundant
Your sister Arc

[grapehound]

Hey Arc
You put the shotgun in the wrong hands!

re read !

x

[Deborah-Leigh]

I did Grape!....lol....quote...I was being derisory for comic effect ! ....lol


Have you seen the pic of George with the shot gun....? It's sublime!   and our Judy loves it! ..besides which, our brave and strong brother George has said of himself, that he finds no fun in shooting anything so close and he was talking about dinner that was standing by itself on a icy slope that he shared with us in his Who am I thread! So no worries brother.   ...we are shooting photo's here and making memories!

Blessings to you bro'...God is calling all...ALL.. the shots!

Arc 

[grapehound]

 

Luv Ya Arc, you're one sharp sista !

Grape

[Deborah-Leigh]

Thank you sweetest Grape. I could never forget that pm. I have reread it several times.
Thank you for just what I needed when I needed it.
You are a wonderful brother

Blessings and love everyone

Grape

What is our sister talking about here?  Seems to me there is light to share and it would be wonderful to shed into this thread!

Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. [/b]


Blessings brother

Arc

[grapehound]

Hi Arc,
Janine has posted it in this category, next one down.

Grape

[Deborah-Leigh]

Blessings to you brother.

Janine is not on line yet ~ so that is something to look forward to!

Arc

[Deborah-Leigh]

Oh I see Janine has opened a new Thread titled " A blessed personal message"

I am going there now to read.....

Arc