SOME QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION ON LUKE 17 vs. 11-19

1. The rich man had it all here on earth, and the poor man received it all in heaven.

2. The rich man was on the inside of the house and the poor man was on the outside. Then came death, and the poor man was on the inside and the rich man found himself on the outside.

3. The rich man had all the food he could possible eat and more, and the poor man had nothing to eat. Then you have the poor man at the heavenly banquet and the rich man with nothing to eat.

4. The poor man had plenty of needs and the rich man wanted for nothing. Then you have the poor man with no needs and the rich man with plenty of needs.

5. Here the rich man desired nothing and the poor man desired everything. Then you have the poor man has all his desires fulfilled and the rich man who will never have any of his desires fulfilled.

6. Here the poor man is suffering and the rich man is satisfied. There the poor man is satisfied and it is the rich man who is suffering.  

7. Here the rich man is happy and the poor man is tormented. There the rich man is tormented and the poor man is happy.

8. Here the rich man was honoured and the poor man was humiliated. There the poor man is honoured and the rich man is humiliated.

9. Here the rich man enjoyed his feasts and the poor man is longing for a crumb. There the poor man enjoys the feasts at the Messianic table and the rich man longs for a drop of water.

10. Here the poor man needs help and the rich man gives him none. There the rich man seeks help and he receives none.

11. Here the rich man was well known and the poor man was a “nobody”. There the poor man is known and the rich man lives in anonymity.

12. Here the poor man had no dignity in death, not even a funeral. The rich man had a dignified funeral. After death the poor man lived in dignity and the rich man had none, not even a name.

13. Here the rich man had lots of hope and the poor man had none. There the rich man had no hope and the rich man’s hope was realised.  

God bless you. 

Reverend Gilmore

LET ME TELL YOU MY STORY 

MY LIFE AT HOME WAS RATHER WARMLY

HOWEVER I WANTED TO EXPLORE

A WORLD I THOUGHT WOULD GIVE ME MORE

I WAS YOUNG AND CAREFREE

I WAS DETERMINED TO BREAK FREE.

I WENT TO A LAND UNKNOWN

I DID THINGS MY FATHER WOULD NEVER CONDONE

I THREW A HECK OF A PARTY

HOWEVER IT WAS ALL RATHER “TARTY”

I WAS THE MAN OF THE MOMENT

YOU COULD SAY IT WAS MY ENTHRONEMENT

OF COURSE I HAD LOTS OF FRIENDS

BUT MY VALUE SYSTEM WAS OUT OF BEND

WHEN ALL MY MONEY WAS GONE

THE CURTAIN OF MY LIFE WAS DRAWN

I LOOKED FOR A JOB

I WAS HOPING TO EARN A FEW BOB

I COULD FIND NO WORK

NO ONE WAS LOOKING FOR A CLERK

I ENDED UP LOOKING AFTER THE PIGS

I HAD NO OTHER GIGS

BUT THEN I REMEMBERED

I HAVE A FATHER WHO IS EVEN TEMPERED

I STARTED MY JOURNEY HOME

IN THE HOPE I WOULD FIND MY FREEDOM

I PRACTISED MY SPEECH

WHEN MY FATHER’S HOUSE I WOULD REACH

HOWEVER MUCH TO MY SURPRISE

MY FATHER’S HEART HAD NO DESPISE

HE WELCOMED ME HOME

WITHOUT ANY FORM OF GROAN

DESPITE ME SMELLING LIKE A PIG

HIS HEART TOWARDS ME WAS RATHER BIG

THE FATHER’S HEART IS ALWAYS FORGIVING

HE WANTS US TO ENJOY OUR LIVING

SO STOP SITTING IN YOUR PIGSTY

THE FATHER WANTS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO FLY

IF YOU FEEL LIKE A PRODIGAL

REMEMBER ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

RETURN TO THE FATHER’S HEART OF LOVE

AND THERE YOU WILL RISE ABOVE 

God bless you. 

Reverend Gilmore

My Dear People

Your prophets spoke of your coming.

Your people read and cherished their words.

...And yet when you came, they wouldn’t and couldn’t accept you as their Messiah.

They rejected you because you socialised with the dregs of society.

They took offence at you for eating with prostitutes and tax collectors.

Yet you refused to bow down and worship at the altar of their pre-conceived ideas.

The sadness you must have felt in your heart.

They simply wouldn’t not hear, see and believe.

You spoke to them of that which was lost:

• One out of 100 sheep – 1%
• One out of 10 coins – 10%
• One out of two sons – 50%

The percentage of our “lostness” is of no relevance or importance to you.

Jesus, you are the seeker of the lost.

Thank you that in your love, you found me.

Please give me exuberant, extravagant, unbridled and unending joy for the privilege of being your precious child.

“I ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW I’M FOUND

WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE”

God bless you. 

Reverend Gilmore

My Dear People

One of the best known Psalms is Psalm 23. I am sure that all of us have come across that Psalm in many different ways: 

• As homework at school when we had to recite it
• As a Sunday School lesson
• As an anthem sung by a choir
• As lesson read in church.

In Psalm 23, David explains that if we follow the Lord and trust Him, He will meet our every need, no matter what the circumstances may be. 

“The Lord” is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm. 

I trust you will find the following interesting and will use it as you meditate and ponder on the Word of God.

• “The Lord my Shepherd,” - He is Jehovah Ra’ah
• “I shall not want”—Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14) 
• “He leads me besides still waters”—Jehovah-Shalom, “the Lord our peace” (Judg. 6:24) 
• “He restores my soul”—Jehovah-Rophe, “the Lord who heals” (Ex. 15:26) 
• “He leads me in paths of righteousness”—Jehovah Tsidkenu, “the Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16) 
• “For you are with me”—Jehovah Shammah, “the Lord is there” (Ezek. 48:35) 
• “In the presence of my enemies”— “Jehovah-Nissi, “the Lord our banner” (Ex. 17:15) 
• “You anoint my head”—Jehovah M’Kaddesh, “the Lord who sanctifies” (Lev. 20:8)

Following the Shepherd is not a chore, but the way to an abundant life. When the shepherd calls, be quick to follow. After all, you are his!

God bless you. 

Reverend Gilmore