Random Thoughts- 1,2,3,4.........

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 11

For a visa change in the U.A.E. I happened to travel by a small aircraft from Dubai to Kish island. Looking through the window, I could see the vast ocean on my left. It just stretched for miles and miles. The thought that if something went amiss with this small plane sent a fear signal through my system, but then I remembered the promise of Deuteronomy Ch.33:27.
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms...."

However vast the ocean and however small the aircraft, the unchanging factor was the "everlasting arms."
Neither was I in control of the plane, nor could I have any authority over the sea, but I realized I was in safe hands. The hands that bled for me.
Unchanging promise....Unchanging love......Unchanging Savior....Praise the Lord.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts - 12

Recently I had been called to preach in a church in Dubai, UAE. (a church where I had never been and where I knew no one except the pastor who called me) As usual the night before the event, I was at the feet of the Lord asking for God's counsel regarding the message and also for getting His leading for praying for specific needs of the people in the congregation, that the Lord revealed.

Among other things, the still small voice said, "Pray for Roshan."
Many a times, I am wary of calling out names of people in the congregation, but still I obey the Lord's leading.

So, here I was in a church with a congregation of around 50 people. After the worship, the pastor introduced me and said "Dr. Johnson will be speaking in English and the message will be translated into Malayalam(a local language of South India) by (guess who)....Roshan.

"Bull's eye"...I said in my heart and as I went up on the stage, here was Roshan, an upcoming minister, standing next to me, ready to translate. I showed him my small noteslip from the night before on which was written "Pray for Roshan" and he was delighted that the Lord had specifically mentioned his name to me.

May be a small incident, but it had a major impact on the guy and on the congregation that night. Marvellous are the ways of God. Praise the Lord.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 13

If God wants someone to be born into the world and live, no one can stop it.
It's very evident from the info. that I write below.

The world's youngest gestational age baby, born at 21 weeks and six days (just over 5 months) was 4 months in neonatal intensive care. Amillia Sonja Taylor was born on 24 Oct. 2006 at Baptist Children's Hospital in Miami, USA. She weighed 284 grammes and measured 24 centimetres in length, slightly longer than a ballpoint pen.

Doctor's describe her as a miracle baby and it is considered a new world record as no baby born before 23 weeks has previously survived. American Association of Pediatrics indicates that babies born less than 23 weeks of age and 400 grammes in weight are not considered viable.

If God decides on something, it's done and it's great that He uses us as channels for His purposes even though we are, as the Bible says, "just a breath."

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 14

In 1974 Dr. Henry Heimlich first described an emergency technique for expelling foreign material blocking the trachea. This technique, now called the Heimlich maneuver or abdominal thrusts, is simple enough that it can be performed immediately by anyone trained in the maneuver. The Heimlich maneuver is a standard part of all first aid courses.

The theory behind the Heimlich maneuver is that by compressing the abdomen below the level of the diaphragm, air is forced under pressure out of the lungs dislodging the obstruction in the trachea and bringing the foreign material back up into the mouth.

Strangely sometimes we hardly do the things we study in text books. Maybe it's because we don't get a chance to do it.

I studied the theory part of this 20 years ago, but never had the chance to do it until today (6/4/0Cool when a chinese boy aged 3 was rushed into our clinic at around 4 pm. The child had swallowed a coin and was choking. The father who brought the child was panicking and I was seized by the urgency of the situation. I asked for an ambulance to be called, then remembered the maneuver described above and just went on to try it. Plop..came out the coin from the windpipe of the child after I gave a couple of abdominal thrusts. All glory to God. A few more minutes would have been detrimental for the child.

God has given us many talents and sometimes we may not use it for many years because of certain circumstances in our life, but if we are willing to be channels for the Lord to perform through us, He will use us at the right time.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 15

While having lunch in a restaurant yesterday, a man sitting nearby approached me and asked, "Can I borrow your salt?"
He just wanted the salt dispenser which was kept on my table, but the way he asked it made me think about what Jesus said once,
"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." (Mark 9:50)

The second part says, " Have salt in yourselves..." and the man asked me, "can I borrow your salt?" Funny, but something to ponder about.

So do I have enough salt to give? Salt brings flavor to so many dishes and can I give flavor to people around me? The flavor of Christ!
Can others experience Christ through my talking, my dealing and my day to day living???
Many people do not accept our testimony because we are not living out "Christ"; we are still living the old life. Not as the Apostle Paul said, " I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

God help me too, to have salt and also not loose it's saltiness.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 16

A friend of mine working in Sharjah, UAE, travels by a pickup to his worksite where he is a welder working in a construction company. Yesterday, he was a bit late in waking up and the person in charge of his section came searching for him and told him to hurry up so as not to miss the ride to the worksite; the pickup was almost leaving.
He had not yet prayed or read the Word because he woke up late and he had to go. Yet he decided to say a small prayer and read the Word, even if the others had to wait. He must have taken 3 minutes to complete his small prayer and read a small psalm.
On the way to the worksite, he dozed off again because he had slept late after work, the previous night.
After a while, he was suddenly thrown forward from his seat and it took some time for him to realize what had happened.
The driver of the pickup had slowed down at a traffic signal as the lights had gone red, but a huge truck that was behind the pickup had failed to see the pickup slow down and rammed into it at full speed from the back.
Some of the workers were hurt because their heads banged against the windows because of the impact, but my friend was not hurt though he was hurtled forwards. The pickup was hurled into the intersection because of the force by which it was hit, but nothing major happened. Strangely no vehicles were crossing then.
My friend described the incident and then thanked God that He had kept him safe.
He realized that his decision to pray and read the Word despite the hurry, had saved him from a major catastrophe.
Prayer does matter, even if it is a small one. As they say- ASAP- Always say a prayer.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 17

It's good that trees don't have ears or eyes, because this morning I saw a gardener pruning a tree with an electric saw. I was walking to work when I saw this tree among many similar ornamental trees on the sidewalk being pruned by an uniformed guy. Imagine the tree seeing this guy walking upto it and switching on the electric saw. Imagine it hearing the motor running. That would have been terrible. And being rooted it cannot possibly run away too. Totally helpless.

And so terrible this pruning. The tree would have lamented, "All those good leaves that I just put out.....all gone. Terrible, terrible...
And then the guy walks away as if nothing happened. No one else around seems to be bothered either that the tree suffered such humiliation. A few see it standing now, well dressed, so as to say; perfect as the one who planted it would have desired.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:1, 2)

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 18

I saw a young sparrow half jump, half fly from a tree this morning. It looked bewildered, to say the least, on landing on the ground. Could that have been a leap of faith or a flight of faith. Either way, it seemed to be thoroughly confused on landing. The legs seemed to give way on landing and it didn't seem to know what to do next. I saw the mother (or was it) soon landing next to it and seem to chirp away at a frantic pace. The young one still looked dazed and didn't seem to budge from it's place. The parent took off twice and landed by it's side again, perhaps showing it the art of flying. Hop, hop...was all the baby could and then stop.

Perhaps the mother was having unrealistic expectations from the young one like we do sometimes with our children. Children are born with diverse God-given talents. Some may be good at studies, others at games, others at music and several other things. I have seen many children of unbelievers to be brilliant in studies while children of believers doing average. Some parents then chide their children, "If they (unbellievers) are getting such good marks, why can't you who are praying?"
Some parents pressurize their children to perform better to such an extent that they eventually steal the joys in their lives. Of course the argument is, "I am only doing it for his/her good." Okay, at what cost??

It would be better if believer parents look at their children's lives with eternity in perspective, encouraging children to use their God given talents to the maximum, helping them flourish and at the same time being careful not to steal away the joy and peace in their lives.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 19

As I walk to work each day, I come to a place where I have to cross 3 traffic signals simultaneously. Sometimes I have to wait at each signal, wait for the green and cross, then wait again for the green and cross and the same again for the last crossing. But today was different. As I reached the 1st crossing, the green was blinking and I hurried through, the second had me walking through casually as the signal was green and as I crossed the 2nd, I could view the green at the far end of the 3rd crossing starting to blink green. As I scampered across and reached the other side, the red was on and the vehicles rushed past.

Funny how life is so similar to these crossings. Some places we get stuck with problems and have to wait for God's openings and deliverances, sometimes we just have to hurry to keep pace with God's moves and some places we just scamper through escaping the evil one's schemes by a small fraction.
Sometimes doors just open up one after the other like the 3 green signals that I crossed today.

I just thought about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. They were all walking on dry ground with the walls of water on either side. Most of them must have hurried through, not very sure whether they would really get to the other side. There were no traffic signals though, just a man of faith raising his staff and stretching out his hand over the sea.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 20

I saw a tigerstriped kitten jump from one bonnet of a car to another in a parking lot. It seemed to have taken it as a new game. It jumped from one to another and then another. I don't know what the owners would have thought about that but it seemed not to care a hoot. We exchanged glances for a second; it looked at me like I was a predator, so I just walked ahead. The next vehicle that it had to jump was higher and a bit far, so as I walked I thought that would be the last it would be jumping. Thud.. came a sound from behind and I looked back expecting it to be on the road and in discomfort, but to my surprise I found it standing tall on the Pajero bonnet.

Could that have been a "leap of faith"? Perhaps it was, though the kitten may never have realized it.

There's always an element of risk when we attempt things/projects with faith in God and His Word. That "suppose it doesn't work" thought often hinders us from doing things for the Lord.

King Nebuchadnezzar had ordered Daniel's friends to be thrown into the fiery furnace. But they answered,
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:17,1Cool

They had faith in God, but there was an element of risk involved too as we see from what they told the king. But God honored their faith and no harm befell them.

So shall we put our faith in to action?

[Soldier4Christ]

I hope that you don't mind my adding to your thread here. I just thought that this might be a good place to post this as it was a "random thought" that I had while reading this portion of scripture today.

Jer 23:25  I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
Jer 23:26  How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;

We see so many people coming forward today saying these same things. It is so easy to fall prey to these false prophets and teachers. It is for this reason that we must study the word of God to insure that we are not be led astray by them.

[jeremiah7]

Thanks Pastor Roger. May Jesus guide each one of us in the right path.

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 30

Of the diverse prayer requests that I receive, one stands out. A middle aged woman once came to my clinic for treatment of Diabetes, Hypertension, Acid Peptic Disease, Rhematism & Partial Blindness. She was very sick and after I had examined her and given her the prescription, she said she had one prayer request.

OK. I said with a smile. Soon, with tears in her eyes she said amidst sobs, "Can you pray for me to die?"
I was taken aback and thought it was because of her sickness that she wanted to die. But on enquiring, she said it because of her son that she wanted to die. He was a chronic alcoholic and verbally abused her threatening to kill her if she didn't hand over whatever property was in her name after her husband's death. He rarely worked and even if he did work, he finished all his earnings on liquor. Many people had conselled him but he did not have a change of heart. She said she was fed up of life with sickness, poverty and abuse.

I did not immediately speak, so she continued with her woes.
I just let her talk and pour out her sorrows. After a while she just sat near me sobbing.

I didn't see any instant solution; she waited for me to pray.

I prayed, not for her to die but that Jesus would grant her peace amidst all the sorrows in her life. I told her about the love that Jesus has for her and that she should trust in him to bring about a change in her son's life. She shook her head in the affirmative but seemed unconvinced that things would change.

We live in a world that is suffering.... The Apostle Paul writes to the Romans:
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:22-25)

The whole creation is groaning....only a child of God has hope.....

[jeremiah7]

Random Thoughts- 31

A couple of months back, a middle aged man came to me for treatment of his Diabetes. Lean and slender, not more that 5 ft. in height, he looked pale and worn out. His blood sugar was very high. When I told him that, he said he didn't care. He continued, "Last week I took an overdose of Insulin, wanting to die; I lost conciousness,when I woke up I was in the hospital, my wife had taken me there in an ambulance on finding me unconcious." Poor planning, he added, I should have walked away from home after taking the overdose, no one would have known.

Why do you want to die? I asked. No one cares for me, that's why, he said. Talking further, he told me how he had worked day and night to support his family, lived in pitiable conditions in the gulf for some 25 years, helped his sons to complete their education, but now they didn't care about him. I talked about God. He said he was an Aethist. I told him, "No wonder God brought you here."

That set up a discussion. He was stinking of alcohol, but I thought I may not get another chance. He was not in agreement but he said, "I'll come back to hear more."I gave him a couple of my books as he left and asked him to go through them. He agreed. He came back a couple of weeks later and I enquired how he was. I'm O.K. he said, and then added, "I couldn't get your face out of my mind for the past 2 weeks." Can you explain, he asked.
I laughed thinking of the ways of the Lord. He looked perplexed. Then I said, "I hope God replaces my face with his in your mind."

I talked to him again about Christ's love for him. He didn't seem to agree and left a little while later. But I was happy, a seed had been sown. My part in the great plans of God in his life had probably been done. Never saw him again. Perhaps will. Only God knows. Perhaps another person has taken over the baton from me in God's scheme of things.