The day with dianne Louise

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval. John 6:27 Although I wrote about this yesterday I cannot move on. There is so much more. We all work for food that spoils, in fact for more than food that spoils. We need the money to come in or we are useless. Yet there is more. I am constantly reminded by the Lord, "Look at Me!" The gospel of Matthew tells it like this: 'Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (stuff) will be given to you as well.' Matthew 6:33 What is God doing today? Where is He? What is He saying? What is His focus? Perhaps it is: "Play with me!" I have a little grandson Archie who is constantly asking 'Nan pay (he cannot pronounce 'l') me?' Perhaps He wants relationship and friendship not 'work'. Perhaps, today, God is not working as I imagine working, perhaps ...

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw the miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." Then they asked Him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered them, The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent."John 6:26-29 Our reasons for seeking the Lord varies. I am currently reading Steve Jobs book written by Walter Isaacson. He noted that Steve had been taken to church by his adoptive family but there came a point when Steve rejected Christ because of Church dogma and the fact that he could not come to terms with a God who allowed suffering. He wanted a God that would level the playing field and make all things good. Most often we want a God who does stuff for us, because we are self-centred. We l...

Gather the pieces that are left over, let nothing be wasted.So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. John 6:12,13 In the gathering of the remains the evidence of the miracle appeared. The fact that everybody in a great crowd, in some gospels we are told thousands, ate and were satisfied by the sharing of 5 small barley loaves and two fish was miracle enough but when 12 baskets full of left over bread were collected the miracle hit home. Perhaps you have had a miracle, one of provision, is there anything left? Perhaps you should count it and realise fully the greatness of your God. In Jeremiah 30:18,19 God says to His people: 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come  songs of thanksgiving and sounds of rejoicing.' A miracle causes rejoicing, t...

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming he asked Phillip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him because He already knew what He was going to do. Phillip answered him, "eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite to eat. Another of the disciples Andrew, Simon Peter's brother spoke up, "here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Jesus answered, "have the people sit down." John 6:5-10 Here was a need. Jesus knew the answer but asked the disciples what to do. The first missed the answer by a mile, the second came close. He presented Jesus with the seed of the solution. How many times have we looked at limited circumstances and wondered how to stretch them to cover a great need? Many, many times. What eyes do we use when we look at the provision? Do we see the seed of the answer? A seed is all we need. A ...

"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" John 5:45-47 Down through time we have managed to misinterpret what has been said, created our own doctrine and miss the mark. In the above scripture Jesus is speaking to the Jews. Our faith may be locked into the mother of Jesus, Mary, or perhaps one of the apostles, or perhaps a good person who lived and died for Christ. If who we focus on takes us away from the truth of the gospel then we have chosen a path of deception and will miss the mark. The person we focus on may be a good person and not intentionally leading us astray but if we are misfocused then we sin and miss the mark. If I take my eyes off of Christ, then I end up in a ditch of my own making. No-one, no matter how good a teacher or how good a person i...

If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. John 5:31,32 In this day of resumes and giving evidence of what we believe about ourselves we still need references. Jesus was saying that His Father was the reference giver. In the book of Acts Saul the persecutor needed a divine reference because the Christians needed to know that him who persecuted could now be trusted. Today the Lord's reference still speaks greater than mans. If He was asked about you what would He say? We need to remember this life is not about our opinion about our worth or lack thereof but about what He would say. Are you blood bought? Do you live as though He is your lifeline? Depending on how you answer these questions will depend on His reply. Jesus said He is the Way. If I have my ticket from Him and am in His vessel then that is all that matters. The cost of the ticket is repenta...

For the Father loves the Son  and shows him all that He Himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show Him, so that you may marvel. For the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. John 5:20,21 I wonder, does the Father love me? Yes! Does He have works that He would like to show me? Yes! Why do I not see them? Perhaps my eyes are not opened. What prevents me from seeing? Do I have a heart for the Father to the point that I would seek His works? If I see His works then I will rejoice and never be despondent because although I am not achieving the results I desire, if I see what He is doing then I would know that this is more important than anything else. Last night I met with 250 relatives and friends. If I judge by what I saw then I would say, "Where is God?"It looked like a regular worldly party, however He looks deep inside at the heart and that is exactly where He is working. Every one of us is in His eye, eve...

"but I know you, I know you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name and you do not accept me, but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" John 5:42-47 Jesus could see through the exterior, and this is something we can do as we walk with Him. The heart attitude cannot be hidden from view as it is the source of all behaviour. No amount of insincere prattle will do. God is looking at hearts, this is where He is focused. What the heart does is what He desires. He wants our heart. If He has our heart, He has our attention. If we live out of a heart set on Him, then we will walk in the spirit not the flesh. I am in Tamworth, staying with my brother. We have had the conversation about his focus. I have questioned him strongly and am satisfied. Yesterday, when in Sydney I was told of my brothe...

"How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" John 5:44 Jesus was talking to the Jewish leaders, He was giving them a bible study. They had refused to accept Him as who He was. They took offense at Him for stating that God was His Father and making Himself equal with God. If one comes into your world bearing truth you have two choices: 1) Reject that person becasue you are unwilling to change to receive the new or 2) repent and change. Repentance takes a revelation regarding sin, without the revelation self-righteousness kicks in. Repentance is a gift offered by God, there are times when it must be sought diligently, it lives with truth. People come into our world and they ruffle our feathers. Instead of rejecting them why not seek the Lord while He may be found and ask for His truth? Always, what is God saying? Do you want to be free or are you comfortable with your bondage? Last n...

After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, "See that you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn't happen to you." The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well." John 5:14,15 This man was the same man who Jesus found at the Sheep Gate. This man had been lying there for years trying to get into the pool called Bethesda to be made whole. Jesus told him to pick up his bed and walk and he did. It is interesting that of all the people Jesus healed he would say to this man, 'do not sin anymore so that something worse doesn't happen to you.' In life we are given opportunities and there are times we don't understand. These are times when God is shaping us, or endeavouring to. There comes a time when we must take a role in submitting to His hand, in fact saying, "Lord I will discipline myself and submit to Your ways." If we think we can pursue all that is wrong and evil ...

One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to get well?" "sir" the man said, "I don't have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, someone goes down ahead of me." "Get up", Jesus told him, "pick up you mat and walk!" Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk. Jn 5:58 Now from the man's response he did not know Jesus, he called him sir, not rabbi as some had. Perhaps this was the first time Jesus had been to the pool of Bethesda (house of mercy). Yet, when Jesus spoke, the same voice that commanded, "let there be light", spoke and just as the natural elements came into order and obeyed Him so did the man. There was divine authority in this man Jesus. As we hear the Rhema of God (the spoken word) the same power that raised this man, in fa...

Then He went again to Cana of Galilee, where He turned water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. When the man heard that Jesus had come from Judae into Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded with Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die. "Go" Jesus told him, "your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed. Jn 4:46-53 Jesus spoke the word and the man believed. When the life giving word of God is received faith blossoms and receives a miracle. The written word of God "logos" is full of power but when it is spoken "rhema" is released. Rhema is the revelatory word of God. It is the light bulb experience, or the "ah" factor. I've got it! Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, not the word or opinions of others, talk shows, movies, grumblers. Where do we go for answers?

My food is to do the will of Him who sent me. Jesus told them, "Don't you say, 'there are still four months, then comes the harvest? Listen to what I am telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest. The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruits for eternal life, so the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true: 'onre sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you didn't labour for; others have laboured, and you have benefited from their labour." Jn 34-38 The time had come when sowing and reaping coincided. John the Baptist sowed the seed, Jesus and His disciples reaped. This echoes the prophesy in Amos: Hear this! The days are coming - this is the Lord's declaration - when the plowman will overtake the reaper, and the one who treads the grapes, the sower of seed.' 9:13 This scripture refers to the messianic age, a time of swift, abundant harvest. (HCSB comment...

Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, 'give me a drink', you would ask Him for living water." John 4:10 In the above scripture Jesus was waiting at a well in Samaria while His disciples go off to buy food. The woman comes to the well to draw water and Jesus asks for a drink. The fact that Jesus, a Jew, speaks to the Samaritan woman is against the norm, the Jews normally avoided such contact. The woman is in a mess, she has been married 5 times and is now living with someone not her husband. For a woman 5 times divorced by her husbands there must have been something wrong, perhaps she was too outspoken, not a good cook, could not have children. We are not told why but here she presents herself to the saviour. I would hazard to guess that she was not backwards in coming forward. Every times Jesus speaks to her she responds. When she finds the truth she goes to the city and calls to the people to come. We all know women who are feis...

John responded,"No one can receive a single thing unless it's given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said 'I am not the Messiah', but I have been sent ahead of Him. He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase and I must decrease. The One who comes from above is above all. The one who comes from earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. For God sent Him, and He speaks God's words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead...

There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Him at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can perform the signs you do unless God were with him". Jesus replied, "I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." "But how can anyone be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked Him. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?" Jesus answered, "I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit."Jn 3:1-6 Nicodemus Jesus speaks at a higher level. He does not speak in parables, He teaches truth, insight, revelation. Nicodemus recognises that Jesus is a teacher sent by God but does not recognise that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus goes on to teach him in the following passages He bri...

The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple complex He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and He also found the money changers. After making a whip out of cords, He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep and oxen, He also poured out the moneychangers coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father's house into a market place." And His disciples remembered that is is written: Zeal for Your house will consume Me. John 2:13-17 Each church carries a 'spirit', a signature of who they are at the core. I have been in churches where a nasty spirit resides, yet in others where a 'spirit of worship' resides, others where the presence of God is honoured. In the temple, in the above passage, the leadership had allowed it to become a place of usury, a marketplace instead a place of worship. Jesus was incensed. Recently I have h...

On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee, Jesus' mother was there and Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother told Him, "they don't have any wine." ..."Do whatever He tells you" His mother told the servants. Jn 2:1-3,5  I am a mother of a 32 and 30 year old. They would reply just as Jesus did. "What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman? Jesus asked, "My time has not yet come." In other words Mummm! Stop it! I am grown up now I will decide for myself! Yet Mary knew something. As mothers often do. I wonder what she knew? Prophesy, the message of the angel Gabriel, or was there more? Had she seen something? Had Jesus already been doing something? Whatever the reason He did respond and the first recorded miracle took place. Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. V 11 So what had Jesus b...

"Come and see", Phillip answered. Jn 1:46b Jesus had just found Phillip and called him to follow Him. Phillip went and found Nathaniel and told him about Christ. Nathaniel had said, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth? and Phillip responded with "Come and see". Nathaniel came to Christ because Phillip had found Him and told Nathaniel about it, he shared his find with someone. This is what we are called to do. Yesterday, while travelling on the ferry from Tasmania to Melbourne I had planned to work and did for about 3 hours when I became hungry. I found myself at the cafeteria checkout, standing next to 'someone'. I found myself sitting across from that same someone for the remainder of the journey. This someone declared himself to be a heathen (My favourite people). We talked about many things but most importantly the Christ of the New Testament. The man has not had a revelation about Jesus yet or about the need for a relationship but he will. T...

Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" "come", he replied, "and you will see". Jn 1:38 What do we want when we come to Christ? Various things pull us, a relationship with a Christian, provision, healing, freedom. What is it you want? When Jesus asked the disciples what they wanted they replied, 'Where are you staying?" They were looking for more, for permanence. Is you heart set on permanence? Are you prepared to stay? If our eyes are on our own selves, or our own needs then we are not looking for permanence, we are transitory, we are passing through looking for what we want now, to take away the pain now, to fill my need now. However, if we are looking for relationship then our heart are usually set on permanence. Only permanence will satisfy, because in that heart -set position we will seek more and be filled. May a hunger for relationship drive you and ...

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Went to a small, friendly Apostolic Church at the bottom of the hill in Burnie today and heard a very good message on the above scripture. The preacher said that the Greek word used in workmanship is poemia (the word we obtain poem from). He went on to say we are God's poem. My Lord constantly surprises me with His good gifts. To know that I am a poem of His making is awesome. All that I go through He is weaving into a beautiful cloth, my life is His story. My sister spins her Alpaca's wool and then weaves it into beautiful cloth. Each yarn comes from one of her Alpacas who all have names and individual characters. How much more is the tapestry the Lord is weaving of my life. I have seen women sew special bedspreads with the history of their children's lives on them. Our God knows our character and how we will handle all that comes our way. All...

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by he said, "Look the Lamb of God". When the disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Jn 1:35-37 The disciples heard the truth and followed it. John was man enough to say the truth, leaving himself without two disciples. Having an ear for truth is so important as there are many competing voices out there pulling this way and that, all thinking that they have truth. John knew he was to point the way, to prepare the way. He knew He was not the way. Do we know our place? We are not the way, He is! Do our opinions matter more to us than the word of God? Are we that insecure? An institution or church is not the way, it is just a house for God's people. If it houses God's people then it feeds God's people the word of God not the word of the church becasue the word of God brongs life but words of the church can bring bondage and death if not built on the word of God. Th...

The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said; 'Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world'. Jn 1:29  John had been questioned the day before by the Pharisees regarding his identity. They wanted to know who gave him authority to call people to repentance and baptise them. John was wise enough and humble enough to know exactly why he was there and walk in his calling. To know Jesus was the 'Lamb of God' he would have studied the scriptures under his father who was a high priest, but unlike all other students of the scripture he had found the truth and the life. Verse 32-34 tells us that God had spoken to John: ' I would not have known Him except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me "The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will bapise with the Holoy Spirit." I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God.'' I grew up in a church system that did not know relationship with th...

For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace, For the law was given through Moses; but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jn 1:16,17 He was full. What does that look like? We all know what a person who is full of alcohol or food looks like, these affect behaviour in an unseemly way. When someone is full of self, that looks unseemly as well. So here we have Jesus being full, of what? Perhaps verse 16 tells us; grace and truth? Someone has to have plenty of something so that they can lavish it on others. Jesus was full of God's grace and out of His fullness flowed a river of grace. Grace forgave, cleansed, healed, gave authority, empowered the ordinary to be extraordinary. As I come to Him I can know that grace waits for me, waits in abundance ready to overflow and fill my world with it's fullness. Fullness is abundance, fullness lacks nothing, fullness is complete and it is mine for the asking.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the Glory of the One and Only, who came down from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jn 1:14 How awesome that would be to have God living in your town, next door even. What caused the people who knew Jesus to reject Him? Was it His ordinariness during His growing up years? Or was it that they judged with their eyes and not their hearts? If they truly had a spiritual bone in their bodies they would say yes because spirit would meet spirit and say 'Yes!' What caused John to leave his fishing nets and follow Jesus? Did he recognise Jesus and his spirit say 'Yes'? John loves Jesus and wanted to stay close to Him, what caused that? I searched for Jesus within the religious system from when I was 4, but it took me until 19 to find Him outside the system. He found me. I had people trying to show me the way but I rejected their offers of help, I saw it as another religion, not relationship. My ...

There was a man sent from God, Whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. John 1:6 Last night I travelled on the Spirit of Tasmania, a ferry to Tasmania. I shared a cabin with three other women, two of whom I got to know, one of whom I ministered to. I live for this, I love this. My name is Christian!

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural or human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. Jn1:12,13 I am in Melbourne for business training and tonight I catch the ferry to Tassie to see my sister. I brought along a little book I picked up called 'The Compassionate Touch', a book written about a missionary in India by the name of Mark Buntain and his wife Maude. This couple lived in a tiny flat which housed many who needed a family. The book describes how Mark would find many in filth and rags, living on the streets of Calcutta, destined for death. He would wash them, clothe them, feed them and take them to His complex. Depending on what age they were, He would educate, train, give them work and pay them. If he could see a talent that needed fostering he would show them the way.   As I read I am seeing my God in action. He loves, unconditionally. He draws the lost to H...

He was in the world and though the world was made through Him the world did not recognise Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. Jn 1:10,11 Again John tells us  that the world was made through Him. Verse 3 tells us that through Him all things were made. Jesus was not removed from them, distant, harsh, judgemental. He was caring, miraculous, personable. He did not part the sea or rain down quail from heaven, He ate with them and touched lives. The Jews were expecting more of the same, a mighty deliverer who would, again, set them free from oppression. The oppression Jesus offered to set captives free from was one of isolation from God. They were not interested. What do you expect from God? Are you wanting one who delivers from circumstances of your making, or the making of others? Or do You want to know Him? Knowing Him is miraculous in itself because He comes into your heart and abides with you, strengthens you, guides you. He does not rob you, that's th...

Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men, that light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:4,5 Life, His life is light! What does this mean? As I embrace His truth and accept Him, His life comes into mine and the light switch is flicked on. When, at 19, I invited Him into my life the empty void was filled with beautiful, joyful, warm, life. I had a future, a purpose, a hope. The light switch was flicked on and others could see the light inside me. I had a torch within and went forth to shine the way. My job is to shine the way to Him, not to solve peoples problems apart from Him. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. Yesterday I talked with a friend who is, temporarily plunged into darkness, the enemy of her soul is on the attack. She has to find Jesus in her circumstances and hold on, as we all do in a crisis. The above verse says that He, Jesus, is the light that shines in the darkness. Just because I have Jesus does not mean there is no d...

All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. John 1:3 This puts the whole 'slime to I'm' thing in it's place doesn't it? Creation was God's design and I am a part of that. God purposed and planned creation, it all belongs to Him, I think that makes Him GOD! Genesis 1 tells the facts but John reveals the Spirit behind it all, he caught the spirit, the living, vital, palpable reality of Jesus as God and therefore the power in that reality. Verse 3 was a bold assertion, for a Jew, one that would enrage the leaders and cause John to be a candidate for death. What is this verse to me? it tells me that the one I love has the power, the authority and the strength to heal all my diseases, provide for all my needs and defend me against all my enemies. This same Jesus is the restorer of lives, families and reviver of churches. His spirit gives life. Amen! His truth, and His truth alone is what I need, ...

In the beginning was the Word, And the Word was with God, And the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning Jn 1:1,2 We could start with: "Once upon a time there was a powerful, awesome being called 'The Word.'" He shon like the sun, he hung out with God, because he was God. He spoke and wonders began, life came into darkness. The spirit rejoice and moved glory into matter. My commentary states: 'In the beginning was the word' echoes Genesis 1; 'in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.' John indicates Jesus' existence in eternity past with God. "The word' (logos) conveys the notion of divine self-expression or speech (ps 19:1-4) God's word is effective. He speaks, and things come into being. (Gn 1:3,9; Is 55:11-12) I like my version, it has more colour. Have you noticed how verse 2 is almost superfluous? It repreats what already has been said, giving confirmation to a truth being stated. Now, I would like to tak...

Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults. Moreover, keep Your servant from wilful sins, do not let them rule over me. Then I will be innocent and cleansed from blatant rebellion. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:12-14 I wake early praying that I govern my life, my business and the words of my mouth rightly. I have been through much lately and have spoken much. I find that as I go through black periods and struggle to find the way, like looking for the bread crumbs, at times my heart will burst forth with words. I know that the words I speak are important, my actions are important. Others need not suffer because of rashness, they do not deserve that. I look at my business and what I charge for what I do and again I do not want to steal, abuse or mistreat my clients, again I ask for wisdom. I want to do what is right. In God's leading I want to follow corr...