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Tears and joy

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This psalm was one of the psalms of ascent, written for the return of the children of Israel from captivity. They had been 70 years in Babylon, a foreign land. Daniel had read the scripture and knew it was time for them to return. He went to prayer and after three weeks and angel came to tell him his prayers were answered. He did not go back with those who returned, by this time he was an old man and had served in the kings court. Imagine returning home after 70 years. I am 72 and to have spent all that time in a foreign land and knowing I was returning to a land God gave to His people and where He resided would have been special. I would have grown up hearing the stories from afar. Yet I would return to a land that had been descimated by the same enemy who took me captive. Going out to once again sow grain, ...
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Be patient

“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”  James‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Jesus’ brother James wrote these words. He did not have foreknowledge for Jesus’ return but he anticipated it with hope. He likens the wait to the farmer, who has to depend on rain for his crop to come to harvest. I hail from a farming community and have seen the need first hand. The whole community is affected by a drought and likewise they rejoice in an abundant rain at the right time. As we see the times we live in and carry the burden of its outcome we pray in hope for Jesus’ return. His return seems imminent, yet the Father is the one to call it. He knows when all He wants has come into the kingdom. My impatience only frustrates me.  Rather I should apply mysel...
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On guard

“Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”  1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ There are times when I must pray, “Jesus please cover me”. These are times when I have been unwise. I have said it done things in a way that could cause a problem. At these times I have asked the Lord to cover me with His grace and He does. I must be on guard with what I allow. The enemy wants to steal and destroy. I cannot give my free time to read, listen to, or watch what does not edify my spirit. There is too much rubbish. Rubbish infects and pollutes my spirit with wrong standards. If I am to stand strong in these last days I must stand firm in my faith. I must have the courage of my convictions. I cannot water them down. I must be strong in what God has called me to do. I cannot be lukewarm. This causes Him displeasure. I must live for His pleasure. Amen!
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Enemies

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭44‬-‭48‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This is sobering! Who are my enemies? Who can I love into the kingdom? I only have family who do not want to know me. I am not persecuted like people in countries all around me. I have not been put in prison or been beaten for my faith.  I can love those who reject me. I can be willing to bless them in any way I can. I can pray for them. I can refuse to moan and complain about them. I can pray for those in the world who hate Christi...
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Living in the Light

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ What is spiritual darkness? It is allowing darkness to rule attitudes, thoughts, behaviours. Whereas walking in the light is a daily submission to Jesus, Hiw ways, attitudes and behaviours. I can wake in the moring with praise on my lips or a grumble in my heart. Bad thoughts about others will seek to deter me from relationship with them, whereas refusing those thoughts and choosing to bless brings light. If we are living in the light we have fellowship with one another. This is better than walls that divide. Amen!
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Doing good

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Sometimes doing good, to the Lord’s way of thinking, is opposed to mine. “But Lord, this will make a prescedent, and this person has become a beggar instead of helping himself!”  On Sunday, or even before this. Way back 6 weeks ago I received an urgent call for help. A refugee had broken his foot and could not work as a day labourer as he had been doing. I helped at that time but saw him well on Sunday. He did not ask for help then but later reached out through WhatsApp. Earlier that morning I received a scripture about giving and suspected who it involved. However, still I stalled. Last night, I asked another person who I had used to remit the funds before, how this man was going financially. He is about to receive assistance with his hospital bill, he had some work he could do whilst unable to walk during the time and it seemed h...
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Compassion

“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This verse is a tag on the end of a discourse on loving your enemies. We all experience times when someone close behaves like an enemy, in a way that hurst us and a way we do not understand. We so easily feel our own hurt and react out of that hurt. However, why is what is happening happening? What is that person going through? What are they not telling us and attempting to deal with all alone? I just received a prayer request. It is 1:14am. Someone cannot sleep. This has been going on for the last two months. It is only now this person is asking for prayer. For two months this brother has struggled alone. He now has prayer warriors beside him. Why am I awake? I often wake at this hour, have time with the Lord, write my blog and go back to sleep. Mind you I go to bed much earlier. Jesus offered us His peace. I pray Jesus’ peace on this brother and on all those who are struggling in turmoil. Amen!
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