The day with dianne Louise

"it is to your benefit that I go away, because if I don't go away the Counsellor will not come to you. If I go I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, because they do not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been judged." John 16:7-11 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him (or them through the work of the cross). Colossians 2:15 Yesterday I wrote about Satan our adversary and I must continue today so that we really get the truth: Satan has been defeated, he has been disrobed, stripped of his authority by the work of the cross. Therefore all his works that hinder us should not hinder us because they have NO power. Jesus told his disciples in Luke 10:18 that he saw Satan falling like light&ning. He then went on to say: " look, I have given you au...

"If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you." John 15:18,19 Satan, in verse 14:30, Jesus calls the ruler of this world. So basically, as Christians, we are aliens in this world and the ruler of this world seeks us out and endeavours to deceive us or destroy us. Before waking I had an unusual dream. I was inside my house, with my sister, and a man broke in. I told him to leave and he refused and then I told him to leave in the name of Jesus. Horror came over his face and he left straight away. Minutes later another man broke in, this time he was dressed as a policeman. He was demanding that we 'help' him. I questioned him and he did not make sense. He wanted to take us away. The funny thing was I knew something was wrong and although I wanted to stand my ground and defy...

No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 Jesus was telling His disciples that His love for them, His friends, would cause Him to lay down His life. Not many people were called 'friend of God'. Abraham was called 'friend', by implication Moses was considered a friend and David was called, 'a man after my own heart'. What was the character of these friends? Abraham followed God out into an unknown land, forsaking all he knew. He waited for God's promise and gave to God a tenth of his spoils in war. Moses obey God and followed him out into the desert, on a promise of the better land. His delight was to go away and spend time with God. David spent time with God long before he needed God, he had a love relationship with God. Jesus showed us how to live an obedient life, he went further by dying for us. He is saying in the above scripture this is real love. We are not commande...

"As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commands and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends." John 15:9-13  Now we come to the crux of the matter. Jesus is here telling us how to stay in Him so that we can ask anything in His name. Just as he obeyed His Father, listened to Him and stayed connected He is telling us to do the same. The real test for us lies in loving others just as He loved us. Ouch! This is easy with those who love us and are good to us, but what about those who betray us, as Judas did Christ? He also commanded us to love our enemies, that pretty much covers everyone. Think of that person who is constantly critic...

I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in Him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in You, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. John 15:5-8 Nowhere else do you see, in all of nature, branches disconnecting themselves from trees and vines to run off and think they can do it all, by themselves. Yet in the Kingdom of God we need encouragement to stay put. This 'choice' produces a self-reliance in us that we constantly have to battle. Jesus puts it plainly, stay put, stay connected to Me, otherwise you will not succeed. Our enemy, the deceiver, who has been at it since the world began, and beyond, comes alone with His lies....

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. John 15:1-4 There is so much here. Is 5:1-7 speaks of the Father being the vine dresser yet the difference here is that Jesus is the vine. Israel was unable to produce fruit because it did not have the 'true vine'. Jesus said that He was the true vine. Now you and I both know that even though we have the vine we must stay 'vitally' connected to it. Staying connected means we get pruned (pain) so that we produce more fruit. If we do not produce we get disconnected (we get the chop- ouch). Jesus then throws in 'you are already clean because ...

"I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over Me. On the contrary, I am going away so that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do". John 14:30,31 Satan had no power over Christ because He walked a sinless life. As we walk committed to Christ Satan has less power over us because he cannot tempt us to walk his way. Jesus spells it out. Satan was coming but because He, Christ, was fulfilling His destiny, He would submit. It is interesting that Jesus says: "0n the contrary, I am going away that the world may know that I love the Father." What an interesting thing to say! It is like an earthly son saying: "I am not staying in this country anymore as I know my Father misses me and wants me home." The son knew His Father's heart and loved Him so much, He would follow it. As we yield and get to really know the Father's heart there are things y...

" you have heard Me tell you, 'I am going away and I am coming to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.John 14:28 Jesus here is telling His disciples to rejoice because He is leaving, going back to His Father, because He is greater. I wonder if they truly understood. Jesus was rather awesome, He displayed a God that, up to that date, they did not know. The Father they had know was a removed God, fearsome and hard to fathom. The Father spoke through the prophets and there had not been a prophet for hundreds of years. The people were now at the mercy of the Pharisees and they were not a pleasant bunch. So, having Jesus talk about going back to such a God would not be a welcome prospect. The important thing for me is that Jesus said that the Father was greater than He. Jesus only did what He saw the Father do, He walked in obedience to the Father. What does greater than Jesus lo...

" Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful." John 14:27 What does His peace look like? We know Jesus said there is an absence of fear and a troubled heart but does that mean there is also an absence of trouble? I don't think so! Jesus was called the 'Prince of Peace'. Yet He was constantly followed by a nit picking bunch of Pharisees who wanted to kill Him. Therefore I think He has authority to say what He said about not being fearful, don't you? So where do we find this peace? I suggest in the face of the storm. He is right there, waiting for us to turn to Him and hide in Him. The trick is disciplining our eyes to only see Him and know the storm is there but not focus on it, pray through it, trust through it, stay steadfast in Him. Jesus had to do this, so why do we, His followers try to avoid it when in following Him we walk the same path? The pre...

"but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit- the Father will send Him in My name- will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you." John 14:24 The Holy Spirit is so much more than just a Counselor, while that is awesome, He is the whole part of God, all of Him, all of Christ. He is the spirit of truth, the comforter, convictor, creator of life, healer of diseases, abundant provider, but most of all He is grace and the living presence of God. I cannot afford to look at my lack but rather look at Him, fellowship Him not my diseases. What you fellowship grows. If I focus on His goodness and rejoice in His love then that is what comes into my world. I want all of Him, not just the bits that satisfy me need but ALL of Him. He is good and worthy of my love and passion. I want what He is and want to be where He is and He is right here for me. I have work to do. Today I will disciple and train the one He has given me. He alone knows what He will become. I...

"The one who does not love Me does not keep My words." John 15:24  My love is continually challenged. What challenges it is the acts of others. My problem is not with them, it is with me. How will I respond? Will I love the Lord enough to follow Him through the difficulties I have with others, humble myself, seek His face and His solution? Or will I go my own way? Our problems with others, in the majority of cases, involves having problems with  the way they behave or treat us and how we can cope with the problems that arise. Of late I am having to dig deep and seek His face for the answer. Anger wants to lash out, self-pity wants to set up camp, self-righteousness wants to strut it's stuff, but what does He want? To find what He wants I have to did deep into self control and focus on Him and His word. I cannot say it is easy but it is doable. The process humbles me, takes me to His table where I can ask for His strength and then walk in that grace. ...

"If you love Me enough you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. John 14:15,16 I have to return here as it strikes me that we often want to know what truth is and if we are Christians we have it right there, if we are obey Christ's commands. The Holy spirit does not hand around when we don't obey. He is easily turned away. He does not like a hard heart, an unrepentant attitude or a petulant attitude. This morning I have had a confrontation with my brother because I washed up a fry pan. He does not like the fact that I have tried to change him. My reaction was to hit him over the head with the pan but I have come aside to pray and seek the Lord. What is truth? The Holy Spirit is only going to talk to me about my behaviour and I have to leave my brother to Him. I am living with my brother for 6 months while I wait for my own house to be available. I ha...

Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord how is it You are going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. John 14:22,23 The disciples only knew the present Jesus yet He was trying to teach them about a new experience. When we keep His word He does come and make His home with us. In the early hours of this morning I was awake being convicted of sin and choosing to repent. I did not feel like it. In fact I had a hard heart towards someone who was causing me grief, but because I knew what the word said I humbled myself and chose to allow the word to soften my heart. After I had written my blog for the day, I wrote an email to the offender apologising for my attitude and offering to help the best way I could. Before moving last week (I had been renting and the carpet had a few stains that I could not remove, one...

"In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live too. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. The one who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves d the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and reveal Myself to him." John 14:19-21 It is true, the world does not see Christ yet it sees us. How do we behave? The key verse is 'the one who has my commands and keeps them'. This person will see Christ and that is what I want. Having left a rental to move to Tamworth I am faced with the previous landlord wanting me to replace the house full of carpet because of stains in the lounge room, hall and master bedroom, two other bedrooms are unstained. Wisdom would dictate to only remove the affected areas and replace it with carpet from the clothes cupboard as anything put down in a rental will be thus affected. Of the face of it ...

"I assure you: the one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And He will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in My name, I will do it."John 14:12-14 Does this scripture affect you like it does me? Myself I look at what I do in His name and what He did and recognise the gap. Why is this so? Perhaps the first part of this reference gives a clue: "The one who believes in Me.." I know I love Him and believe in Him but perhaps there are levels of believing. If I look at my earthly relationships I can say that as I get to know a person I come to know what I can believe they will do and not do, in other words I get to truly know them. The more I get to know the Lord the more I believe He can and will do things in and through me. So therefore to be able to do the works that He did I have to take the...

"You know the way to where I am going". "Lord", Thomas said, "we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:4-6 How many times will you say, "I don't know what to do"? Yet Jesus said He was the way, the truth, the life. If we do not know what is right about a particular path, what does the word say? Not what do your emotions say or your friends say. The truth is not what others do or say. Who is God? Whose authority will you accept? Are you, Christian, the final authority in your life or is Christ? Have you given yourself permission to commit adultery? Have you decided it is ok to steal from your employer because you have a need? Have you decided that what a brother or sister has said is so offensive you will not forgive them? It all comes down to who is your god? Does the Lord sit above all els...

"Where I am going now you cannot follow me but you will follow me after". Peter said, "lord why can I not follow you, I am willing to lay down my life for you". Jesus said,"will you lay down your life for me?" " truly, truly I say to you the rooster will not crow before you have denied me three times."John 13:36-38 Peter thought he knew himself. Emotionally he was charged and firmly believed he would be ready to die for Christ. Do you find that is the way things are with you? Emotionally, at a particular times you will firmly declare you love, your devotion, "lord I will never go to my pet sin again," but you find yourself there. This can be a very emotionally devastating experience. It can cause you to lose faith. Knowing yourself takes time. Peter was going to die for Christ, many years later. However there was a time difference. Peter did deny Christ and struggled in himself because of the reality that denial brought. Are y...

By this ( your love for one another) the world will know that you are my disciple if you have love for one another. John 13:35 What does this love look like? Is it the palsy walsey stuff that loves if you do the things they do or is it the love that Jesus showed? Patient, kind, long suffering, gentle, good, believing all things, hoping all things? Jesus was faithful and did not turn away from His disciples even those who deserved it. He gave every opportunity for grace. This is the love the world is hungry for. Did my unsaved nephew see that In those who helped me move over the weekend? Or did he see men grumbling like those he works with every day? I pray the godliness came through. It is in the difficult times that godliness is begging to be manifested. For grace to be revealed we have to wrestle with our flesh. We have to intentionally humble ourselves and allow Him room.

A new commandment I give unto you that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. Jn 13:34 Oh boy sometimes we are severely challenged to do just this. We are so prone to want things our own way and if they don't happen to, our willingness to dole out grace is hampered and we explode. I have had two days of people misunderstanding me and either becoming irate, or severely challenged in being gracious. Myself being very tired, not losing it but maintaining grace was also a challenge, but hey we made it. I am now in Tamworth and all is well, praise God! Loving can severely test us. Today was mother's day and I am sure a lot of grace was required. I am so glad I know the one who created the stuff, so grateful that all I have to do is ask and it is given freely. Amen!

After saying these things Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "truly, truly one of you will betray Me".the disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom He spoke. John 13:21,22 Isn't it interesting that the disciples did not think of Judas? Did his attitude not stand out? Did they not sense his offended heart? Have you been around someone with an offended heart? How do they behave? I find that they usually guard their offense, protect it, cover it up and that it only manifests itself in an unguarded moment. Usually alcohol induced. Under the influence of alcohol most things hidden emerge. Probably why not a good idea to drink. Better it comes out as repentance or as a decision to clear the air between one another. Alcohol makes much of a wrong and the one wronged is often not clear headed enough to grasp truth. My dad had a habit of doing this, which made family gatherings difficult until I was able to address it with him. Offense is a nasty bea...

" whoever receives the one I sent receives me and he who receives me receives the one who sent me." John 13:20 It is not sufficient to say, "I believe in God", there comes a need to believe the one God has ordained to work on His behalf. This involves going to church as well. There is a need to trust God to use the one He has sent and to not neglect to gather together( as is the habit of some- Hebrews). Receiving the one He sends requires us to trust the Lord, to use a man or woman. People who have been neglected, get jaded and do not receive a shepherd easily, they have run with goats and are used to being a loner. However fellowship is important otherwise we won't grow correctly, we need the sandpaper effect that comes in fellowship. I enjoy fellowship and the resultant joy in relationship, it completes me. Find your place and grow(correctly). Amen!

Jesus replied, "if I don't wash you, you have no part with me." John 13:8b Jesus had taken a basin of water and a towel and was about to wash the disciples feet. Peter was objecting but Jesus was determined and the scripture puts it plainly. We must first accept the sacrifice of Christ. His death was sufficient for the covering of our sins. His humility and service was sufficient for our righteousness, as it diffuses self. You cannot be humble and self-righteous at the same time. Myself, I find I have to go to Him regularly to be washed in spirit and soul. I find as I read the word I am cleansed, that is if I am in a humble and contrite attitude. For me the washing of the disciples are a picture of the cleansing we can receive by our humble Lord but it also shows me the attitude I must have towards others. I can have no part in my Lord if I choose to walk my way and refuse his sacrifice or servant hood. So the question today is, will you let Him wash you?

Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God and that He was going back to God. So he got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel and tied it around Himself. Next He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him. John 13:3-5 What an unusual thing to do! Or is it? The God of knowing produces humility and servant hood. I suppose this is a good check for each of us. God's kind of knowing does not puff up, in fact it produces the opposite. As I draw near to God I know exactly where I have come from and to where I am going. I know who I am. I am a Christian in my inner core. I therefore know who my Father is and what is mine. Out of this knowledge I can love as He loves, it is not hard for me and out of that love I can serve others. Last night at Alpha we talked about prayer. Prayer to me is loving my God and having a wonderful relationship. His love is so real I...

Before the Passover festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:1 As I prepare to leave Albury Wodonga I am very much aware of those the Lord gave to me as special friends. Tonight a group of them met with me for a farewell dinner. I was surprised by some lovely, thoughtful gifts and cards where people poured out their hearts. I can say I must have done my job because they appreciated what I had done, especially those who attended DivorceCare. It was not a hard task because I have loved them. I would do it again. I am so grateful for the opportunity to lead these people and bring wholeness into their lives. I am so blessed and so thankful for being trusted to bring healing into hearts and lives. Helping others is the best fun I have ever had. I think that as we walk in what Christ has for us we walk in Christ's love for others, we can't help...

Psalm 112 Hallelujah! Happy is the (wo)man who fears the Lord, taking great delight in His commands. Her descendants will be powerful in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in her house, and her righteousness endures forever. Light shines in the darkness for the upright. She is gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to the (wo)man who lends generously and conducts her business fairly. She will never be shaken. The righteous (wo)man will be remembered forever. She will not fear bad news; her heart is confident, trusting in the Lord. Her heart is assured; she will not fear. In the end she will look in triumph on her foes. She distributes freely to the poor; her righteousness endures forever. Her horn will be exalted in honor. The wicked man will see it and be angry; He will gnash his teeth in despair. The desire of the wicked man will come to nothing. I digress from my study in John as I need to go...

I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and doesn't keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but save the world. The one who rejects Me and doesn't accept My sayings has this as his judge. The words I have spoken will judge him on the last day. John 12:46-48 Last week at Alpha fear of God came up. There were some who had a fearful perspective. I know there are many who fear. Why do they fear? Often because of judgement, lack of relationship and a harsh father image growing up. To believe that God loves, one first must accept Him as Savior and Lord. To know He loves takes time and experience as He faithfully reveals Himself to us. He is good and worthy of our trust, worthy of all praise. God faithfully reveals Himself over and over again as a faithful, loving God. The judge we experience is our enemy who condemns continually, not God. Inside Christ ...

"I assure you: unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. The one who loves his life will lose it. And the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. John 12:24-26 Last night I watched a movie with friends called: The Shotgun Preacher. The language was foul and represented the man before Christ and without Christ. The man had a burden for the children in Uganda and his solution was to build an orphanage and rescue the children from Joseph Koney. His method was gun power. After the movie we discussed what was presented. Some excused the man, called Sam, saying at least he was doing something. Yet I know a woman who also went to Uganda without a gun and did the same. Her weapon was prayer and trust in the Lord. Today as I reflect on the message...

Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. So they came to Phillip who was from Bethesda in Galilee, and requested of Him, "Sir, we want to see Jesus." Phillip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Phillip went and told Jesus. Jesus replied to them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." John 12:20-23 Phillip and Andrew had Greek names, perhaps that is why the Greeks approached them. What I find interesting is Jesus' comment: 'the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.' What an unusual reply. What did it mean? It seems to show a pre-occupation with the Cross. Did the disciples understand his comment? We see no more mention of the Greeks. Were they in the crowd? The whole purpose for Jesus coming was the cross. To purchase us back was the master plan. What is evident is the fact that Jesus showed no preference or space to the coming of the Greeks. In other places we read ...

Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been with Him when He raised Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify. This is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He had done this sign. Then the Pharisees said to one another, "You see? You've accomplished nothing. Look- the world has gone after Him." John 12:17-19 The testimony of the eye witnesses was mighty and drew all who heard it. What is your testimony? Who are you speaking to? Who is being drawn? I have been snatched from eternal damnation and given new life, new hope. Have you? If you know you have this life within you do not hide it, speak it out. At Alpha on Tuesday night the big question was, 'why is there so much bad stuff and why does God not intervene'? The answer was if God continually wiped away the bad we would not be living the choice which He gave us. We have been given the ability to choose and the wrong choices of others and perhaps ourselves ...

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclined at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil-pure and expensive nard-anointed Jesus' feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then one of the disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray Him), said, "why wasn't this fragrant oil sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?" He didn't say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money bag and would steal part of what was put in it. Jesus answered, "leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." John 12:1-8 Two extreme attitudes are displayed here. Mary was so grateful for Jesus' raising her brother from t...

Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary (Lazarus's sister) and saw what He did (raised Lazarus from the dead) believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin, "what are we going to do since this man does many signs?" "If we let Him continue in this way, everyone will believe in Him! Then the Romans will come and remove both our place and our Nation!" John 11:45-48 The Pharisees were leaning on their own understanding, they did not seek the Lord. Never do we see that they prayed for truth. Always we see them reacting to Jesus because of their own understanding.   They had a certain mindset and they had decided how the Messiah would come and what He would do, what He would look like and that was that. I cannot afford to become fixed in my mindset, about anything, except of course that the word is true and that God does not lie. We see throughout th...