THE INNER ROOM - "Learn and Grow - to Maturity". Please read the 1st Post.

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Hey Bondman and the Mrs. .. Just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas.. I am leaving for a few days to go be with my family. I have been on the streets the past 4 nights, sharing the gospel, loving upon folks and sharing the joy of Jesus.. amazing week.. a bit tired now..so looking forward to a break... it's tough work doing the work of the Lord as you well know. This year instead of doing families for gifts. we visted all the senior citizen apartment complexes and had a Christmas party for each one including music, sharing of gospel, prayer and blessing them all with gifts.. we gave away groceries tonight to 39 families with 139 family members and there was one salvation this evening. praise the Lord.. alrighty then.. god bless you and may you enjoy Christmas day!
 
Thankyou, hon!! Bless you for your dedication to ministry and helping those in need!

Enjoy your Christmastime with family!

Much love!!

-BM & Mrs
 
Wishing everyone a truly blessed Christmas,

And a wonderful 2011
where you grow in obedience to the Lord
and thus in righteousness in Him.

With much love from
- BM and his Beloved
 
FROM BONDMAN

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas, and you're ready to start another year! How does the time go so fast?!! We have continued further setting up my PC, until we struck MORE problems and had to stop again. I was quite wiped out by this - simply did too much in too short a time, all very demanding, so my body said, "Okay, time to stop..." We had to get our brilliant repairman Joshua back to sort out the problems which seemed to involve both computers!! I'm now FINALLY back working on mine - hallelujah for that! - and after 5 or 6 fixes, we're hoping all is okay at last.

It will take a deal more time to get this full setup done, but we can now at least relax a bit. It seems to me that Beloved is still doing just that little bit better than for a long time. "Thankyou, Lord!" But body deterioration in various areas is my continued lot in life, e.g., my left eye with the cataract is often of no use for seeing and sometimes a hindrance; I also have a very enlarged prostate that we've successfully used drugs for a decade and a half to stop it growing, but has now grown again. If it continued this would become VERY serious, seeing I can't be operated on.

PREVIOUS QUESTION: When I sin against someone, what is my necessary course of action?

I'm sure it's obvious that we must confess our sin to the one sinned against, and say how sorry we are for what we did. Note that I DIDN'T say 'to ask for their forgiveness.' Forgiving you is entirely in their hands, and is NOT your business at all. Thus in some cases you asking for forgiveness would put pressure on them to say they do - when they're really not ready to do this at all. Do your part; allow them to do theirs. If you DO get told you're forgiven, give much praise to the Lord for this!!!

That done, the other major matter is that your sin was also against the God Who is our Father in heaven. All sin is against Him!!! So go to Him and very EARNESTLY say SORRY (i.e., repent of your sin that was against Him). You can ask for His forgiveness if you wish, but of course you are ALREADY forgiven via Jesus' blood on Calvary. Then make SURE you THANK Him for freely forgiving you - again!! NOTE: use the same procedure for all of your sin of each day.

NEXT QUESTION: How can we NOT be part of the world (and living worldly lives) as most are? What changes are needed?

Do well for the Lord this year! Become more obedient and grow in holiness. With my love to you all!!

- BM
 
The Journey
Well Bondman, Happy 3 year Anniversary to our friendship! Hard to believe 3 years has passed since meeting you. I must say this New Years Eve was much different than past ones. I spent the evening in church and it was an awesome way to bring in the New Year. I have learned so much and continue to learn. Well first things first, to start off the New Year I blocked phone numbers in my cell for those people in my life that were hindering my walk with the Lord, especially one in particular, an ex boyfriend. Now mind you I had not had much communication with him recently in the past, but every so often he would call or text.. just when I was thinking I was so strong and such and then boom. a call. So for me to have all the Lord has for me I had to lay that at the foot of the cross and do my part. leave it there and grab ahold of what the Lord has in store for me. For those that do not know me, this was a HUGE VICTORY in my life. I had to take the actions, the Lord does give us the strength. We pray Oh Lord help me, but then we do no do our part... so that part is done.. now it is incumbent for me not to call or text.

I have also learned I have a tendency as you know to run ahead of God. I am still working on sitting still and being led by his spirit within me.
My youngest son will be getting married this summer, so that is excitng. My daughter is doing well in college. My father is being healed from his prostrate cancer and he and mom just left for Florida for the winter.

I have started the NewYear off by opening my home to a young 26 year old gal, the very first gal that the Lord put in front of me when I lived back in Olean. She was really struggling with many addictions and needed a new start. She moved in 2 days before Christmas. It is going well, we start every day exercising, and having bible study for an hour each morning before starting our day. She has been a blessing to me as well helping getting my home in order, as you know I am a drop and go type of gal.

I continue to volunteer with Care-A-Van , the street outreach in 2010 1,591 units of food representing 4,135 people within those families were fed as well as the gospel being shared with those folks. 881 folks came to our cookouts, 246 attened street church, 105 came to Easter dinner, 7 monthly visits to 95 college dorm rooms with approximately 4 students per room were done. with many other facts, so it was quite the busy year.

The most important fact is that I am being more and more in the word continue to learn the righteous life for living for the Lord. The past 2 years I "ran" away from me! I buried my pain and hurts from the past by keeping busy helping others, but in fact, I lost myself.. So at times my mountains look pretty big to climb.. ie .. losing the 46 pounds that I gained over the 2 years. I got quite emotional when rooting out my closets and drawers last week seeing all the clothes. I use to wear.. but again.. back then I might have looked good on the outside but my inside was a mess.
Currently been having problems with my knee and facing potential surgery, but I am believing in healing from the Lord for that as well, I can see where it was all happening to get me t o slow down!
As I was getting ready this morning and having coffeee, I was praying Lord help me to look to you each and every day for what your purpose is in my life. As I am soooooooooo blessed with many gifts from him and we know the most important one he gave me was the gift of Evangelism. The God stories don't quit there too.. many funny things have happened just these past 2 weeks.

So I am learning to be content where the Lord has me including performing my job unto the Glory of him and not man. It is all quite a learning experience. and yes I have the woman's group each Tuesday evening at my home and I gettting much more comfortable with sharing, teaching and loving upon them.
May you Bondman and all others have a very blessed New Year! This year is going to shine bright for all of us! Complete healing, restoration of finances and so much more!
Love to you and the Mrs.
 
Thanks for the update and love, dear one!!

I'm so thrilled to hear about the new steps you're taking! Way to go!! It takes time to learn to be all His and to live for Him. To be fully COMMITTED, and also fully SUBMITTED. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. To all who read here I say, "DO IT!!!"

Then we need to learn just HOW to be submitted to Him! What things to do, not do, how to live, the path to follow, how to hear from God, and so much more. Which is exactly why there are many, many messages on these things right here in The Inner Room!

A blessed new year to you also, hon. Seeing you've been counting *grin*, as you go into it may the 4th year be clearly your best yet, with more growth and more righteousness!!

All our love - and hugs!!

- BM
 
Just read about the Tsunami and flooding there in Brisbane. Praying that you and your Beloved were not impacted. Praying for you and all.
 
Just received word from Bondman that they and the family are okay. They are on reduced power and his beloved's mum had to be relocated for a while but is now back home. His daughter lived in the town that was hit with the Tsunami but is okay also. Praise the Lord! We do need to remember that whole area in prayer though. Quite devastating what's happening there.
 
Thank you, dear ones, for your love and care. We're a lot more fortunate than tens of thousands of others in South-East Queensland. Still only 12 officially dead, but there are 40 unidentified bodies in the morgue we hear. And there will be more. People saw houses floating past in the flood with people inside, and cars also with people inside. No one has ANY idea where the bodies of those who perished in this inland Tsunami may be. I've never seen cars being tossed around like match-box cars before: the power of the water was quite unbelievable.

Brisbane, our Capital City of Queensland, population 1 million, is waiting for the Brisbane river to peak. Many homes and business are already under water. We are a long way from that disaster also. And today there was no rain! But of course the damage is already done.

Our power has been fixed, but the electrician has no idea what was wrong. Could have been water or moisture (now waiting on the bill!!) Being off the air - no TV or PC's - we had NO IDEA of the disaster West of us until our power came on. That's how fast it all was, and hence the fury of it. With Toowoomba getting 6 to 8 inches of rain in about half an hour, again no wonder the fury.

That water then poured over the range from Toowoomba to the flatter agricultural (food) areas below. They simply went under from the sheer volume of water. In turn this water ended up in Creeks and Rivers emptying into our main Brisbane River. So now they're flooded. It was all worse as we've had rain for ages and ages and the soil was waterlogged, so every spot of rain had to run off. The damage will cost billions, and take ages to fix. Meantime food will become short because the fruit and vegetable areas have been flattened.

Add to this that our coal mines in Queensland are also filled with water. A major part of our export income comes from that - so a country of only 23 million people is going to take a long time to recover from this disaster.

Bless God for His mercy on us this time around!

Love you all!

- BM and Beloved
 
FROM BONDMAN

You can read details above of our Inland Tsunami here in S.E. Queensland, and also as a thread HERE. I truly can't imagine how long it's going to take for our State and country to recover from devastation on this scale!

NOW A STORY!! We've had so much rain that all our yards are water-logged. I'd been out on Gertie for a quick ride as it wasn't raining or threatening. Just as I got back I heard the worst screaming I've heard in a long time - coming from a small group just up the road. Decided to go and see what it was. A 56 yr old lady from the top of our street walked on a patch of water running across the footpath, and down she went. It appeared she'd broken her upper arm, and part was sticking out, and she was still on the ground where she fell.

A teacher with First-Aid training from the house she was in front of was trying to stem the blood flow. With three towels wrapped round her arm he had it in a vice-like grip and never once let go. His wife was talking to the Ambulance people, relaying what was wrong - which took a LONG time! This poor lady had something wrong with every major organ in her body, plus I don't know how many more things such as Lupus and Diabetes and Epilepsy - a wonder she was still alive. Blood was still seeping considerably.

I got off Gertie and sat beside her on the footpath to see if I could help Cat (her name). Beloved says I then did what I do best, which was to reassure her (I'm blessed with a good voice for reassurance), stroke her shoulder and forehead, tell her what was happening, that she'd be okay, and it seemed to help settle her. Finally the Ambos arrived but couldn't find a vein to get Morphine in - because it was her bad arm Cat told us. Eventually backup was called. They arrived cut the towels to take a look and the blood had stopped - her BP was so low that maybe that's why. They went about stabilising her.

I helped her to get a little more comfortable on the hard concrete where she was still just as she'd fallen. She asked me to hold her elbow up a little for comfort. I immediately did. I was able to support her heavy arm plus towels with a lot of blood in them. I did this for maybe 15 minutes without problem. Now I can't hold myself up for even 1 minute, so this was quite amazing (and felt great!!) I clearly had a lot of adrenaline flow, and this helped me with little energy reserves to do the impossible! I continued to stroke her, call her Sweetie and so on.

Meantime I was so late returning from my ride that Beloved got concerned. Going out the front she saw not one but TWO ambulances and an empty Gertie stationary at the roadside. My Lady is strong, but she did go weak at this, thinking I'd been run over and maybe killed. Rang her Mum for prayer, got Greg and Toni our newish neighbours who love helping us to take her up, and there was I doing my job that God had clearly set up for me to do. Not a major one perhaps, yet still important.

Myself, the original neighbours, and the Ambos were all totally focused on the task at hand. I saw Beloved but kept at my task. The neighbours took her home again. What's strange is that she didn't ring my phone which was in the pocket I could reach, and she could have known all was okay. I'd already collected all the bits and pieces Cat was carrying and got them safely into her bag. The Ambos got her strapped to a stretcher and took her to the hospital. Other new neighbours we've also just got to know asked if I needed help to get up and across to Gertie. "No," I said confidently, and I did it alone. The adrenaline was still doing it's job!

Back home to a very relieved wife, who lectured me to 'never do that to her again.' I'll try not to!! But I was RAPT. For the first time in years and years and years for once I had actually be able to really help - as I said excitedly to my Love - "a real live human being!!!!" Sooo exciting for me!!! Definitely a day we won't forget for a long time for different reasons.

PREVIOUS QUESTION: How can we NOT be part of the world (and living worldly lives) as most are? What changes are needed?

In a word: MANY!!! And this may well apply to YOU. At salvation you maybe said to the Lord that you commited your life to Him - but I wonder if you actually did. Try "SUBMIT." Great word!! James 4:7 SUBMIT yourselves therefore to God. Submission is gladly giving in totally to Him, to serve only HIM as Master forever. That's THE LORD, NOT YOURSELF. The world around you lives for themselves. Totally selfishly. Are you the same as that? Most are. You have to slowly change that to selfless living - living to help and serve other Believers and therefore serve God!!

Means you give up a lot of things that you love, including comfort and ease. It means learning to live simply to save money to give this to benefit your fellow Christians in need. Let me tell you something HIGHLY IMPORTANT: if you DON'T start doing this now, then when you go to meet the Lord it will still be as a worldly person. The Word says that a worldly person is an ENEMY of God. James 4:4 So maybe the meeting may not go too well...

NEXT QUESTION: Western churches have called and call Sunday the SABBATH. It's not! The Sabbath is Friday sundown to Saturday sundown - so basically Saturday. The 4th Commandment says to keep the Sabbath as a day of rest. So... Sunday or Saturday, and how to spend your day?

May He help you to be filled with His Spirit, and live a life worthy of the name 'Christian!!' Love from

- BM
 
EXTRA FROM BONDMAN

A. During my 'helper adventure' yesterday (see above) I wasn't aware that while I was doing what I could to help her, Cat spoke to my Beloved and said quietly, "Thanks for lending him to me. He's very kind and gentle!!!" Wow, how beautiful is THAT!!

It was all amazing because adrenaline flow allowed me to do things, and for a length of time that would normally be utterly impossible for me. And don't they say that no good deed goes unpunished?!! hee! Well those who have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) like us understand this perfectly. Medicine still has no idea what CFS is, let alone what to do about it. But they have latched onto 2 ideas that we've all known for decades. And one fits me perfectly right now. They say that if you do anything - anything at all - then you WILL pay for it (sooner or later). 100% true, and today my energy levels fell through the floor. I couldn't even go a couple of steps on my crutches. My arms, legs and all of me is what I usually call: "Wipeout!" lol!

Literally true, so I've been in bed and motoring round strictly in Gertie all day. But it sure WAS worth it!!

Cat is apparently doing okay we've heard, but no news of when she may be able to come home.

B. Firstly here, I didn't share yesterday about the couple in front of whose home this happened and who did such a brilliant job with Cat until the Ambulance arrived. I later asked the husband what he did. "I'm a teacher," he said, "at Groves Christian College." It's amazing how the ears prick up when you hear something like that. I asked him immediately, "Are you Christians?" "Yes," he replied. His wife home-schools their three primary-age kids, and the school helps her when she needs it (this is all quite unusual for Australia). They have a meeting in their home each Wednesday evening and invited us to come. This is simply impossible for us, but how EXCITED we were to discover that all this time there's been Christians only 100 yards up our street! I feel really sorry that Cat had to suffer to enable us to find this out...

Secondly, a younger guy even closer to us (in a street leading off ours) came down to check that I was okay cos they hadn't seem me out in Gertie (which was because of rain and threatening rain). He then said he'd come and mow our lawn, which our regular mower was still trying to get to us to do - some of the lawn was a foot high! We said, "YES!" He and his father-in-law arrived next day and did it all. Okay the f-i-l did mow off all our patch of native flowering violets under large Grevilleas out the front (ones I brought from a forest on the Great Dividing Range in Far North Queensland in 1972, still have, and they are quite precious because of this) - but they'll survive!

Two days later they were back to do a final tidy up. Then they decided to do the concrete of our back patio which had a thick layer of slime, etc, was slippery and dangerous, and again our mower hadn't got to do it. So today we got to see the concrete again (didn't know it was THAT colour!!) And there's more they'll do soon. Add that to our topside next-door neighbours who'll help with anything at all any time, and we most certainly are NO LONGER on our own - even including a Christian family!!!!

So many, many, many praises to our wonderful Lord Who ALWAYS does all things well!!! And none of this would have happened if I didn't now have Gertie - it seems that people now know I'm around, and we're around. WOW!!

2009-5-023(sml).jpg
Heading up our street towards where Cat fell (top right at top of pic)​

Much love to everyone!!

- BM
 
That is so wonderful. God is truly amazing at what and how He reveals things to us. So glad you were able to help and know that you will recover in time. So happy you found a lovely Christian couple right in your yard, so to speak. Continuing my prayers regularly (more than regularly) for you and your Beloved. God bless and much love.
 
Thank you Nick. Your prayers are VERY special! I feel SO blessed by the Lord - way, way, way beyond anything I could ever expect from Him!! Hardships abound, but blessings abound MORE!! *smile of pure happiness!!*

Also praying always for you, your life and your ministry, and of course Jeri and Cal.

Much love back to you!!

- BM
 
Wow ! Amazing Bondman, amazing the strength that we have within us! How blessed you are to have those folks help you out! Love you both!
 
Hi sweetie!! God certainly set it all up for me to be able to help Cat. How wonderful! And yes, it's amazing how suddenly we have some people around us who will actually help us, after being quite on our own for so many years. Wow!! Thank you Lord!

Love you too, hon! Praying always! HUGS!!

- BM
 
FROM BONDMAN

Well my 'adventure' where the Lord specifically organised for me to go and be with Cat while she lay where she'd fallen, had its effects on me as I alluded to last time. I clearly had major adrenalin flow which allowed me to do things I can NOT normally do. The next day I described as "Wipeout!" and wondered how long I'd 'pay' for what I'd done. The answer is that it's taken 8 days to get over less than half an hour of ministering. That's how this rotten CFS works! Today for the first time I feel at least half-human and maybe ready for my regular life again!! Would I ever do the same again? Of course!!

Cat (short for Catriona) is recovered and is back out of hospital, and today I received a lovely card in our mailbox from her: "thank you for your help and comfort. u were my angel. Cat" I've been back on Gertie to talk to the Christian family next door to Cat. They and their three kids seem very lovely folks. They and tens of thousands of others are helping those whose homes were flooded, to try and cleanup the mess and maybe in a year or so get their lives back...

PREVIOUS QUESTION: How can we NOT be part of the world (and living worldly lives) as most are? What changes are needed?

If you not living out the New Testament in your daily life, then you ARE a worldly Christian and an enemy of God, James 4:4. Here are some things to RELEASE you from the world, and begin to live lives PLEASING to God: 1. You must have said "Sorry" to God for all of your sins against Him - and keep doing it. 2. You must believe in Jesus. This "believing" means giving of all of your life to Him. Most take that SO lightly. It means that you are now all His. 3. That leads to serving Him and others, esp. other Believers. Fail on this and you will be in trouble at the Judgement. 4. Become OBEDIENT. If the New Testament says to do it, or not do it, then OBEY!! Live to find new things to obey as you read! There's no shortcut to this, and it will take time (so start today!) 5. Seek to grow towards being a mature Believer. In doing this and through obedience, you'll grow in RIGHTEOUSNESS, holiness, and godliness. God will REWARD you in heaven for this.

You'll know when you're succeeding in the above. You'll live much more simply, less and less like people around you. It will happen! You'll be freely giving to, and helping others. You'll be living much less for you all day - less self-centred, more God- and people-centred! The old things you once loved to do and be (just like everyone else) will fade into the background. You are becoming Jesus' man, Jesus' woman!! Wow, and hallelujah!!!

NEXT QUESTION: This may sound a little strange, but how far away from eternity are you?

Lots of heavenly love, joy and peace for you this week - and always!!

- BM
 
Hi there Jim, and welcome to CFS and also here ton The Inner Room!! There's much to learn and use to grow towards maturity in my messages here.

A very concise and pertinent answer there! I'll give my response in about a week or so (used to do things daily here but ill-health has stopped that).

Love and peace!

- BM
 
FROM BONDMAN

Hello to all!! We have so MUCH to be grateful for, don't we! - good food, good shelter, clean water, effective clothing, medicine and medical help, and so much more. Billions in this world don't!!

Last Friday Beloved went to the Doc for an Iron jab. But she caught a bad throat bug from people in the waiting room!!! Dangerous places, doctor's surgeries, *snorts!* So she was back on Monday for help. The antibiotic she was given would clear it, no problems, Doc said. By yesterday she was a bad as ever, so I rang him and she's now on another antibiotic (with no effect so far). Poor Darling can do little and is getting weak from not using her arms and legs, etc.

God's miracle is that I've not caught if from her. Mind you we're BADLY missing hugs, touching, closeness, and so on. :( My daily health level is consistently down a notch or two since Cat. That happens...

PREVIOUS QUESTION: This may sound a little strange, but how far away from eternity are you?

From entering eternity and facing the Judgement?? One micro-second!! - and not one micro-second more!!! I know, I know, we all have years and years to go! Decades even!! There's CERTAINLY no hurry to get ready to come FACE to FACE with that great and almighty God of ours, is there!!! That's EXACTLY how we all live, right?!! BUT - you're off to visit a relative. A car unwisely overtakes a truck and hits your car head on at a combined speed of 120mph (200kph). You are killed instantly. Like I said, ONE MICRO-SECOND!!!

But... that's not likely to happen to me, right? And THAT'S exactly the problem. We all live as if there is no end to our human life here on earth. How ridiculous is that. Start thinking how FRAGILE life is - car, boat, plane crash, stroke, heart attack, drowning - and maybe you'll start GETTING READY for the meeting to end all meetings in your life!!! Tomorrow may be your final day here...

Getting ready means what, exactly? Starting today to become SUBMITTED to the Lord Jesus in EVERY aspect of your life. Living for Him by loving and caring for fellow Believers and by giving to reaching the most lost. Which means OBEYING everything He says to do in the New Testament (over 600)!! Including loving Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, i.e., totally. It means constant growth towards becoming a full-grown Christian Believer, a MATURE Believer. I know all of above CAN be done, as I know a person who IS doing them right now! My messages (below) will help you greatly with ALL of the above - a great resource!! Why not use them every day??

NEXT QUESTION: What do you think that you'll actually be doing in eternity? Ever given thought to this? Harps??

I pray DAILY for YOUR growth towards maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ!!!

- BM
 
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