Josiah Ruff

I still say that the time I spent with Montaj was some of the best years of my life. We came together, I still say that God did it, to sing and get famous but I believe now that it was for our edification and my education. The things I learned, the lessons in humility the ensued... Anyway, I wanted to share this song. It's one of the ones we did as a group it's not the whole thing but I think you'll like it.  

There's a story in the Bible where the whole nation of Israel is in the midst of a terrible calamity at the hand of a pursing king. This king wants to wipe Israel off the map and plant his banner where the hole is that he left. In front of all the hosts of Judah, the king kneels down and prays. He says in the prayer, "we don't know what to do but our eyes are fixed on You". 

That day God wrought a marvelous victory for His people and centuries later we tell this story to our kids to show them the power of God. 

I'm all grown up and I have kids of my own and I look out into this world and survey all the evil that is in it and I cringe because it too i seeking to take us, children of God, out and plat it's preverbal flag where our hole is left. We pray just like that good king all those years ago, we might even fast if it will help. We seem to go through all of the motions but our hearts never white believe that God will come through like we used to hear in the stories. 

Be honest. When is the last time you prayed for something and truly needed it to happen and then believed that God would work a miracle? Truth is that most of us believe that the miracle is within ourselves, "if we believe". Isn't that what the song says? So if we just work hard enough, try hard enough, cooperate with God enough or something like that it will work out. And if it doesn't well… we didn't want it that bad anyway.

I just lost something dear to me and I truly wanted it. I prayed, cried and prayed some more but it still was lost to me. I do not have peace over the thing because I know it was not God's will that I should loose it. Yet I still believe in God's power to restore in this life. 

I am reminded of a text in Jeremiah 23. It reads: 

6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

7. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

8. But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

This promise is ancient yet I am one of those weird ones who still believes in it. God wants to be our salvation today! He wants us to stop looking at the "Faith of our Fathers" and establish faith for ourselves. He wants us to stop being like Martha at Lazarus' tomb and putting off God's deliverance until whenever, when Jesus says that He is our deliverance TODAY.

Many of us are like that invalid man at the pool of Bethesda. We want to be healed but we can't seem to work hard enough to get there and when it seems like there's a breakthrough coming we are always NEXT in line but not receiving it. Yet Jesus is standing over us asking if we want to be healed and we don't have the since enough to believe that He can do it. 

When did we stop believing? 

The minute we decided that prayer doesn't work and that we must work for ourselves. Well I for one want to live a life that will take God at His word and believe Him for my healing, my victory and my breakthrough. He promised me in John 16 that in this world I'm going to have a hard time but that I should not be discouraged because He has overcome this world. It is through that same power that I too will overcome by faith with tribulations but with increase in favor from the LIVING GOD of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Josiah.

So we are here at the end of another year. So much has happened in seemingly so little time. I'm reflecting on this year and the promises I've made and have not kept. All the plans I had that did not come through. Yet the one constant in my life is the Lord. 

I'm just thinking about all the grace He has extended to me and I'm so grateful and the least I can do to say thanks is to live a life that is pleasing to Him. 

In My Heart There Rings A Melody Uploaded by ruffisthree. - Explore more music videos.

Hello Everybody!

Ok I bet you guys can tell that I'm excited...

This is my first post in my new blog, it took me some time to get it up but I hope that you all enjoy the conversation and thought's that I will share with you as the days go by.

I'm gonna be sharing things that I have learned in life and in God. I want everyone that comes here to understand that we all have an opinion and an understanding of the...

Sometimes we get so caught up in what we are doing wrong that we forget God's invitation to come to Him.

I heard a sermon a few years ago explaining the word chatazomi (i don't speak or write greek so don't slaughter me if i spelled it wrong) ad it basically means "already forgiven." Isn't that awesome?!

All we have to do is grab a hold of that and just come to Him. David, is a psalm says that God will NOT despise a broken spirit and a contrite heart so if you are at that point and you need a place to turn... 

Everyone has their own interpretation of the Gospel message. I like to keep mine simple, because if it is simple and not convoluted, it’s easy to bring into mind and not hard to reflect upon.

My version is simply this: Jesus came live and died, for me and for you so that we could be with Him one day.

Yeah I know that there are so many other nuances to the whole deal but in essence it is summed up in John 3:16. If you believe with me then the Bible later says that you already have eternal life just because you believe in Jesus. What a God. What a man. What a story. It’s the greatest story, the one that we will be telling forever and ever...

Have you ever felt guilty for asking God for something when you know you have not been what you thought you should be? But you ask anyway. Hoping the God will somehow excuse your negligence and grant you "wish" that you so desire (excuse me) NEED. Why do we do that? Could it be that we are not as spiritual as we claim to be? Let's face it, by whatever standard we live by, or hold in our minds, we have all fallen short of our own ideas. So even if we've fallen, strayed or just plain walked away from God remember this...

- HE A'INT NEVA CHANGED -

Seriously this is what He says... "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are...

Here's an interesting though for today: It’s easy (usually) to be kind to those we like. But what about those we don’t? Think of those you find very disagreeable. How would they react if you displayed a humble and gentle attitude toward them? Through God’s grace, give it a try (remembering, too, that you might not always be the most likable and lovable soul either). Please comment and tell me what you think?

- Josiah

After all their frustrations were out and the poster had plenty of holes in it the professor turned the poster around and on the other side was a picture of Jesus but with holes in it.

“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His loving kindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”

Deuteronomy 7:9

God cannot lie. He can never make a mistake. All of His promises are Yes and Amen.

Thinking back on my life and all that I’ve done, I can’t help but to think that God has been more than faithful to me.

Many times I have gone and done my own thing and He has brought me back unharmed when I didn’t deserve it.

I remember a time when I was in Maryland visiting a friend for the holidays and we got this idiotic notion to race our cars on the Beltway. I had a jet black, Mercury Mystique and...

What is the significance of one?

There was this one world

And it alone fell

By one action

One family was condemned forever

But there was hope

For one seed would come

And by one act restore all

Now there is one faith

One God and One Way

One hope that we all share

Ok! So this is yet another blog for me, but the first post here on my new site!

You may know already but I'm really not great at keeping up but since it's the new year I thought I'd give it another shot! Pray for me ya'll.

Oh and keep checking in cuz when the conversation gets going... you know what happens!

There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Romans 8:1-3

When you are in Christ you are a new creature.

I’m gonna stay away from the cliché as best as I can but I will say that our very nature changes.

Where there was guilt and shame there is joy and peace. Before you did not have the power to resist evil; I’m sure that most of you were...