robertrutherford

robertrutherford — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:57:46 +0000

I watched a special on the History channel. It was about an old, historic ship that sank off the coast of somewhere…. The plan was to retrieve it for restoration. Others, in the room, were puzzled…. as to WHY I would cry…. and, worship as this documentary unfolded. THEY did not HEAR the Spirit, whisper gently…” That’s you.”
I looked at ME…. an old, useless ship…. In need of restoration…. Everything it, ONCE WAS…. yet, useless….
Hopeless…. Sunk. I listened to the arguments by the experts. TOO COSTLY…. NOT WORTH IT…. IMPOSSIBLE…
BUT… there was ONE captain who had a plan.
Divers went down, and began attaching uninflated balloon-like devices to the old ship.
(The spirit whispered: friends) tears fell….
They secured the balloons with chains.
( the Spirit whispered:love )
Then….. Air was pumped into the balloons.
( the Spirit whispered: me )
The Sunken ship rocked…. Creaked…. and, began to rise! It WOULD make it back to the top, again…
It WOULD be restored….
It WOULD find a brighter day where the captain would make all things new!
Today: there IS hope!
You are SURROUNDED by FRIENDS…. who LOVE you….
and, the CAPTAIN has a PLAN…. that CANNOT fail!

robertrutherford — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:03:19 +0000

ONE O’CLOCK…AND, ALL IS WELL!!!!!
TWO O’CLOCK, AND, ALL IS WELL!!!!
THREE O’CLOCK, AND, ALL IS WELL!!!!
LOVE DEFEATED DEATH AND HELL!!!!
FATHER’S PLAN IS PERFECT!!!!
EVERYTHING’S IN TACT!!!!
HE MADE HIS DECISION…..
AND, HE WON’T TAKE IT BACK!!!!
FOUR O’CLOCK… FIVE O’ CLOCK….
SIX O’ CLOCK AND, SEVEN…
HE ALREADY PAID THE PRICE….
SO, ALL CAN GO TO HEAVEN…
EIGHT O’CLOCK AND, ALL IS WELL….
NINE O’CLOCK AND, TEN….
THE FINAL LAMB IS SACRIFICED!
HE TOOK AWAY ALL SIN!!!
ELEVEN O’CLOCK…. TWELVE O’CLOCK…
IT’S AS SOLID AS A ROCK….
JESUS ROSE WHERE ADAM FELL….
NOW, EVERY HOUR…… ALL… IS… WELL!!!!!!!!

MALL-COP!

robertrutherford — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:27:15 +0000

Years ago…. as I sat in my Pentecostal Church, listening to the Pastor tell us a THOUSAND ways we were disappointing and breaking the heart of God…. I KNEW there was something we were missing. I knew, by the Spirit, that God was BIGGER than we made Him out to be.
We KNEW He was the creator of the Universe. We knew He hung BILLIONS of planets and stars in the sky. We knew He was the designer of all that we knew. The mountains and the oceans…. the Winter and the Summer. We knew He was the giver of LIFE… yet, we had reduced Him to a Mall-cop who sat behind an invisible curtain….. getting mad and blowing his WHISTLE if we put our pee pee’s in the wrong place… or, drank a beer… or, said, “shit.” I did not doubt the LOVE I heard about, in that place… But… I LONGED for a REAL look at the GOD of the Universe! I am thankful that MY GOD outgrew His Mall-cop Uniform!!!!

STOP DOING!!!!

robertrutherford — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:25:15 +0000

I remember the season of life when I answered the call of God to lay down my rituals. Father longed for me to spend time in His presence…. but, I was too busy performing my obligatory duties as a Christian and a minister. Every day…. I had a list of things I did, because other great men of God did them….and, told me I should. I was greatly admired in my sphere of influence. An example to the believers! BUT… Inside.. I was cold and empty. I was told, from time to time, by messengers from Father, that I was more involved with religion, than relationship… but, I refused to believe it! I wasn’t DOING…. ANY of the BAD things my flesh craved and longed for. I was RESISTING temptation, and DOING all of the GOOD things that were expected and required of a well-balanced Christian.
But…. I felt FAR away from God.
It took a TIDAL-WAVE of calamity to re-arrange my life. After the dust settled…. and, after I finished blaming God….. Satan…. Others…… Myself…..
I, finally found a Peace and REST I had never known. In the stillness of doing NOTHING FOR GOD…..I stumbled upon a great truth concerning His abiding presence…. and, His willingness to saturate me in His Unconditional LOVE.
It was hard for me to get it through my head… that God, neither NEEDED me….
or, WANTED me to climb back on the treadmill of WORKS. He whispered in my Spirit… ” Stop doing anything you feel obligated to do.” These simple words changed my world. I learned how to say, “NO” to the GOOD things.. just as I had, previously, learned to say, “NO” to the BAD things. It was a great BLOW to my pride… when, I realized my GOOD… was no better than my BAD. They were BOTH products of the TREE of GOOD and EVIL… and, I had been SO BUSY at THAT tree…. that I had cut myself off from the TREE of LIFE!
It took some time to re-adjust my thinking. Many friends viewed me as BACK-SLIDDEN as I RE-GROUPED. While I was NOT in Attendance at all of the religious services and rituals…. I was finding a new way to live in the SPIRIT!
I was learning how to LIVE in the presence of God. Before… His presence was like a visitor that came by to bless me. I found out that the invitation was for me to DWELL there!! It was like trading an occasional glass of water for swimming in the ocean!
Are you empty, inside? Are you going through the motions… doing what is expected of you… yet, NOT feeling the fulfillment you desire and need?
Maybe you will hear Him whisper, “stop doing anything you feel obligated to do.”
Maybe YOU will climb off the treadmill of expectancy and “disappoint” your “Christian inspection team.” Maybe YOU will TRADE religion for relationship.
It will make your life WORTH LIVING!!! Fall in love with HIS PRESENCE… and, the LOVE you find, there… will motivate you, from the INSIDE…. to DO… and, BE what you are called to do and be.
He has an AMAZING LIFE planned for YOU…….. DON’T MISS IT!!!! RR

FREE

robertrutherford — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:39:17 +0000

The two men sat on chairs talking….. face to face…. yet, there were bars between them. One was free…. One was in prison. The free man looked at his friend and felt sorry for him. He wished he could set him free….. but, that wasn’t up to him. They had similar lives, but one had chosen bondage… The other found the key to happiness. He prayed for his buddy, knowing that, in time, he, too, would find the key to freedom. They hugged each other as the visit ended.
The free man went to his bunk… The Imprisoned man went out to his car and drove to his dealer’s house.

A WORD ABOUT THE BIBLE

robertrutherford — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:38:27 +0000

A WORD ABOUT THE BIBLE

Histories and allegories….
Genealogies and lots of stories…
of our Dad and His creation…
Plans for man and His salvation..
Poems, songs and inspiration..
Left to man’s interpretation…
Well preserved… For what it is…
Love it, but, remember this:
The letter, it will kill you..
The SPIRIT makes alive…
Whatever else may come and go.. His word, it will survive..
He wrote it on a tablet…
And in a book, in part.,
But, the word we all should live by…
Is written in our hearts!

LOVE… PEACE….JOY

robertrutherford — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:37:16 +0000

I don’t want to debate doctrine…. or, argue religion, anymore. I don’t CARE what you believe. It doesn’t
MATTER.
If I PROVE I am RIGHT and, you are WRONG…what have I done?
The fruit from that tree is bitter.
You know what matters?
LOVE, PEACE and JOY.
I DECLARE: I will spend my days in pursuit of these; for MYSELF and ALL of those in MY sphere of influence!
Let’s beat our Doctrinal swords into plowshares and plant a field of LIFE… a place where we can DANCE.. and watch the kids chase butterflies!

STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS

robertrutherford — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:36:28 +0000

I love stained-glass windows… but, I’m not SURE if they are the BEST kind of windows to have in a church.
Church people, because of doctrines and dogma, ALREADY see things in a distorted light. Sitting on a pew… Listening to Fundamentalism…. there’s NO WAY they can look out the window and see the WORLD, and its people, as it REALLY is. Maybe it was intended to ROSY things up a bit… distort the faces of the people so they couldn’t SEE the pain THEIR GOD was causing….
OR… maybe stained glass is a MERCIFUL gift so the poor decadent sinners can’t see the people inside, who are PRETENDING they’re better than the common sinner… or, maybe it’s to HIDE the wealth of the furnishings of the million dollar building from the children who starve in it’s shadow.
Yeah… They’re beautiful… but, to me, they represent something ugly. Let’s put artificial light behind them and use them as decorative wall hangings…… Put CLEAR, TRANSPARENT glass in their stead…. and allow BOTH sides to get a CLEARER picture of the TRUTH in REALITY.

ALCOHOL

robertrutherford — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:34:11 +0000

Alcohol
Sometimes… When I am plagued by pain…. and I can’t find shelter from the cruel rain… I find a friend in a liquid form, he helps me cope and keeps me warm… and soothes me for a little while… Helps me dance and makes me smile… I feel more beautiful… I wear a cape…. I’m super-man and I have found a great escape…
Some people say it’s wrong to drink… But, Jesus made the water, wine… If you don’t let it take control… a drink or two, would be just fine. It doesn’t work, For some folks, though… They cannot drink and keep control… they damage others in their path… if this is you, then , do the math! God MADE the buzz and It’s ok…. If drink can take your pain away…. A bridge that spans through time and space to take you to a better place… If it becomes your only peace, it’s time to find a better way… There IS a fountain filled with LOVE that flows to take your pain away… You’re better off to go, full throttle, to that place, and, not the bottle… Here’s the facts and here’s the deal… It’s fine, sometimes, for you to feel… The way you’re feeling when you drink… Where you don’t HAVE or NEED to think… Just use some moderation… in everything you do.. God doesn’t care if you HAVE a drink… Just, NEVER let.. the drink HAVE YOU!!!

robertrutherford — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:18:13 +0000