The day with dianne Louise

They (scribes and pharisees) watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so they could catch Him in what He said, to hand Him over to the governor's rule and authority. Luke 20:20 Isn't it funny that devious and deceitful people think they can escape notice? They actually deceive themselves! These leaders had evil intent and a truly righteous person, which Jesus was, could smell them a mile away. I am not Jesus and I can smell evil. It is not rocked science. If you observe people you can tell a liar in the making by the way they behave; you can tell when people feel they are doing something important by the way the busy themselves, stand taller and have a look of determined focus on their faces. Today I happened to go past the council building and there were people coming and going with a look of importance upon them, they were attending a significant meeting. The icing on the cake was a woman carrying a large tray of scones, with cream and jam appli...

Every day He was teaching in the temple complex. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to destroy Him, but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard. Luke 19:47,48 The wolves were prowling but were kept at bay by the fire of God. The day was coming when they would rip and tear this mans flesh in their hatred for the glory they beheld. Little did they know that they man kill the man but not destroy this glory, it would shine all the brighter because in the death of the man their lord would lose his authority. Amen! Today the wolves still howl and seek to devour. See revelation 12:13-17 But guess what folks? We win! Amen! Days if persecution may come but our Lord has written the final chapter.

He went into the temple complex and began to throw out those who were selling, and He said, "it is written, my house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!" Like 19: 45,46 Now that I have a relationship with The Lord I am His temple, His spirit lives in me So if I am His temple and He said His house would be called a house of prayer what does that mean to me? I have constant communion with Him, inside. I do not have to be in a building called a church to go to pray. I'd say this is how He sees me then I suppose I have a responsibility to keep my 'house' clean from the love of money and the focus on money ( and stuff). It is like bringing a new born baby home. I am now totally focused on its care and less on myself. I have a role to fulfill as a parent. As a temple I have a role and responsibilities to carry out. Make sense?

As He approached and saw the city (Jerusalem) He wept over it, saying, "if you knew this day what would bring peace- but now it is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41,42 Jesus had been ministering some three years but those who represented authority had rejected Him and were about to kill Him. Had they received Him peace would have come but Jesus, in the next verses goes on to tell of the destruction if Jerusalem, which happened at the hands of the Romans. Many years ago I worked as a registered nurse in a rehabilitation hospital in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia. While I was there there came into the hospital an elderly, well to do lady from Mosman (a richer part of Sydney). We became friends and I shared the gospel with her frankly on many occasions. When she went home, the last time she invited me over to her home and again I shared the gospel. She point blank refused to accept Christ saying she did not believe in Him. I never saw her again but heard she ended up blind in...

Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen: The King who comes in the name of The Lord is the blessed One. Luke 19:37,38 Not many chapters ago Jesus took the disciples aside and told them He was going to His death but they had a different vision. When the spirit of God is moving we sense it and depending on our focus we will interpret it, according to our focus. I know I have done it, seen it in others and known the truth. When the spirit moves our spirits are lifted up, excited and often we sense that God is moving but have no real clue what He is doing. We make mistakes when we interpret it according to what we feel instead of waiting for the complete picture, or direction from The Lord. We may prophesy over the wrong person, sense what is happening in another person but fail to discern the character of that person and that the Lords's moving is ...

As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away. Therefore He said: "a nobleman travelled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return. He called 10 slaves to him and gave them each 10 Minas, and told them, ' engage in business until I come back'". Luke 19:11-13 Jesus told this parable to show that He was going away and would return. It is interesting that He gives equal amounts to the 10 slaves. As the story unfolds there is a report about 3 and how they handled what they were given. Two did as they were told and invested what they were given. The third hid his portion, afraid of the master. The reward for the first was rulership over 10 towns plus the portion of the third man who did nothing. I am interested in the fact that there is reward and what it looks like. Many Christians think that getting to heaven is eno...

"Today salvation has come to this house", Jesus told him, "because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost. Luke 19:9,10 Zacchaeus was a tax collector whom Jesus went to spend time with. Zacchaeus was so blessed he volunteered to pay back all those he had cheated. The Pharisees were definitely not impressed, a sinner? Jesus loved sinners because that is what he came to find. Zacchaeus recognised his sin and repented. The Pharisees did not recognise pride as sin an therefore remained unchanged. Zacchaeus was desperate to meet Jesus, he was a short man and could not see through the crowds so he climbed a tree. He was not too proud. What will you do to find Him? Will you allow the opinions of others, obstacles or live for money stop you or will you climb a tree in order to see? The desperate find Christ!

As He drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant. "Jesus the Nazarene is passing by," they told him. So he called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him, What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to see!" "Receive your sight!" Jesus told him. "Your faith has healed you." Instantly he could see, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Like 18:35-43 I love this story! The crowd called Jesus the Nazarene, a nobody from a little town in Nazareth but the man called Him Messiah. He had a revelation about who Jesus really was. The crowd didn't l...

Then He took the twelve aside and told them, "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and He will be mocked, insulted, spit upon, and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day." They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them and they did not grasp what was said. Luke 18:31-34   If Jesus knew the details as to what was going to happen to Him, then He would have know that what He was sharing with them they did not grasp. Why did He bother? What is it about relationship He knows that we do not?   Jesus treated the disciples with respect even though He knew their limitations. There would come a time when the lights went on, an "ah huh!!" moment.   What patience, what grace!   I have been following an astronaut who is photographing earth from the space station, wha...

How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ..."what is impossible within is possible with God!" Luke 18:24,27 Being rich can be a place of contentment, unless the Holy Spirit starts to open the eyes and stir the heart for God. The Holy Spirit is the best wooer, convicter that I know. It is His speciality, a job He enjoys and what releases Him is the prayers of the faithful. As Christians we are to be salt and light but also a part of the prayer room of God. If we also are 'content' it is too easy to be lazy in prayer. We then need the faithful praying for us to shake off our sloth and catch the heart of God. While the faithful are praying for us they are not praying for those who need our light. An ordered life with prayer and time in the Word keeps us focused. If our day is structured around God then His heart will be heard. Everything else will fall into place. Who has God put on your heart? Who are you consistently praying f...

A ruler asked Him, " good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Luke 18:18 Is this your question? Do you want an easy answer? Many think their good behavior is enough. Do you think this? Jesus taught we must give our all, unreservedly. What does all look like? Seeking His Kingdom first and living out of that revelation. Not pleasing self first and giving Him left overs. It is amazing that we can assume that seeking Him will cause us to have to live in poverty or loneliness. Wrong! But we have to trust Him, let Him be Lord. Amen! He can be trusted, unreservedly! He is not a destroyer but a giver of life. Amen!

Some people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them: "Let the little children come to Me, and don't stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. Luke 18:15-17   Isn't it funny how we can be so religious in who and how people can connect with leaders. The disciples were being officious, stuffy and missing the very nature of who Jesus was. His very essence is connection and especially appreciative of the small, insignificant, lowly.   The Kingdom of God belongs to the humble, the broken and the destitute. They are the most open to receive.   When we are broken and humble we are open to the Kingdom of God and all that is there for us to receive.   Little children are quick to believe. When I was about 14 my younger sister and much young...

I tell you, this one (repentant tax collector) went down to his house justified rather than the other (the Pharisee); because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:14 Lately I have spent time talking to lovely people, broken by divorce. Broken people are my favourites. They are usually open to hear truth. Broken people are humble people and are best placed to receive the treasure of truth. Truth is full of power and this power created miracles for those who receive it with joy. Conversely I have spoken to those who have hardened their hearts and they receive nothing because they are not humble. Moral of the tale: be humble. Amen!

Then The Lord said, "listen to what the unrighteousness judge says, will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth? Luke 18:6-8 These verses are referring to the previous 5 verses where Jesus told a story about an unrighteousness judge acquiescing to the cries for justice from a persistent little woman. I am such a woman. The last verse above indicates that when Jesus returns faith will be leached from the earth. How does that happen? Adversity? Disillusionment? Offense? Laziness? Ignorance? Claiming what is ours in Christ requires taking territory. If our enemy has held our territory for some time then he will not easily yield it. The fight for what is ours defines our faith. Will I believe the word if God? Will I follow Jesus and make him Lord? What will Christianity look like in my world? Life for Christ was not a push over yet we can ...

He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged: there was a judge in a certain town who didn't fear God or respect man. And a widow in that town kept coming to him saying, "give me justice against my adversary!" For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, "even though I don't God or respect man, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so she doesn't wear me out by her persistent coming." Luke 18: 1-5 I love this story, it encourages me. I am constantly banging on heavens doors in prayer, for 'mine'. Now 'mine' is all God has for me. I have found that I have to be aggressive in prayer as lame prayer just don't get heard. I see myself as a warrior princess determined for 'mine'. Now I don't necessarily know what mine looks like but I have a sense of what it entails. It includes victory, authority, abundance, answers, people, lots of...

Whoever tries to make his life secure will lose it and whoever loses his life will preserve it. Luke 17:33 When Lot and his wife were told to leave Sodom and Gomorrah and not look back, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Stuff cannot mean more than our lives. In our country we have nasty bush fires. Some people in the past have stayed at their home in an endeavour to save their homes but several perished in the fires. Theses fires have been something we had not seen in intensity. Stuff cannot mean more than the lives of others. Turning blind eyes to those suffering while on our way to buy more useless stuff will not do. There are families who have struggling relatives and ignore them because their planned largerTtV purchase was more important will find a day when it is all a pile of ash. People are more important than selfish indulgences. Every year we have loads if 'boat people' head for Australia. Should we ignore their plight or lend a h...

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: people went on eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:26,27 Without fail every time a huge calamity comes we all think, 'must be soon'. But in the days of Noah everything had gone on as normal until Noah boarded the ark. Noah had been obedient and when he completed the task God gave him, the rains came. I must obediently put one foot in front of the other and when I'm done He will come for me. As to whether it is with others or by myself I don't mind. Today we launched The Longest Yarn and the media turned up an we found ourselves in the news. Now we have to do the project. Already I have enough oldies and children. I will start next week, lord willing. God is good! Amen!

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, Jesus answered them, 'the Kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, 'Look here! Or There! For you see, the Kingdom of God is among you." Luke 17:20,21 By asking when the Kingdom of God was coming was spitting in Christ's face. He had come to show how to have a relationship with the Father. That was the part of the Kingdom of God that they needed right then. Jesus knew that for the final act, His triumphant return, which is yet to happen, many needed to hear the good news. The Father knows how many He wants to come and who are they. So what if He waited until we got our act together and reached out to those who are unable to help themselves; those who are not known about; those hidden in the further most reaches of the globe; perhaps He had destined a Richard Branson to first be born and come to know His ways. We do not understand another mans deepest thoughts so how ...

But one of them (10 lepers), seeing he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell face down at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, "Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner? And he told him, "get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well." Luke 17:15-19   It seems that those with the greatest faith were the Samaritans and Romans. Perhaps that was because they were not religiously indoctrinated and when they saw the truth received it with joy.   I praise God that the heathen and know sinners were the first to respond. The soil in their hearts was uncluttered by unbelief and a religious expectation as to how things should happen.   I can relate to the guy who returned to thank Jesus. I thank a lot, especially when I see God do something. I don't take it for granted. How about you?   Today I had two people book in for ...

While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When He saw them, He told them, "go and show yourselves to the priests." And while sheet were going they were healed. Luke 17:13,14 Jesus went to an out of the way place for 10 lepers. This makes me mindful that the small and insignificant are important to Him. Tomorrow is the launching of my project called The Longest Yarn. Tony Windsor, our local federal minister, is officiating for me. My great vision has been reduced down to a humble beginning in my church school Liberty College. I am starting with a few. The project links old people with children through story telling. Everybody has a story worth hearing. Even old people close to death have stories worth hearing. They are significant to Christ, they are important to me and I lov...

Which one of you having a slave tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'come at once and sit down to eat?' Instead will he not tell him, 'prepare something for me to eat and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink'? Does he thank the slave because he did what was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, " we are good-for-nothing slaves; we've only done our duty." Luke 17:7-10 Rankle, rankle! How dare He! Well He did and He is God! Jesus was saying 'if we only do what was required, nothing more, why do we want a pat on the back?' Obedience is the minimum requirement, it is not a 'if you have time' request. Jesus obey the Father and did what was required and more and received a commendation, " this is my beloved Son in Him I am we'll pleased!" Therefore, "we'll done!" Is not just for doing the barest ...

The apostles said to The Lord, "increase our faith." Jesus said, " if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, "be uprooted and planted in the sea', and it will obey you. Luke 17:5,6 Jesus, in the previous verse had taught on the need to forgive as often as was asked. Like us, giving forgiveness and not harboring attitude or offense is the challenge. However, we are well able as I myself found. We would rather entertain the ability to move mulberry trees and mountains instead of the faith required to forgive and keep on forgiving. Forgiveness is one of the foundational truths of the gospel. For God so loved the world that He sent His Son for whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. John 3:16 God didn't send His Son to condemn the world but that the world through Christ might be saved. Verse 17. God sent His best to show His forgiveness. What will we send? Forgiveness is the gospel of God's grace. ...

Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him. Luke 17: 3,4   The accuser is at work. When I began the DivorceCare course in Wodonga I had a boarder who went off accusing me of all sorts of weird stuff. I had to send her away.   Today I had word that the first course in Tamworth was written about in the local paper and I had sensed in the spirit that there were people responding to the article written. Tonight I was accused of doing something I did not do.   If the enemy can accuse us to others he will and stir them up against us. I have to be prepared to pray for those around me, for myself that I will continually have a heart to forgive and also for those that are coming.   There are unsaved souls coming to hear the gospel perhaps for the first time and they need to be unhindered, and I, ...

He said to His disciples, "offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! I would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. " Luke 16:1,2 We all know offense is alive and well. However the above scripture talks about causing a believer to stumble, probably through wrong teaching. The above scripture carries heavy weight. Teaching error might appear a light matter in the here and now but in eternity, not so. I remember, as a young Christian being taught it was wrong for a married woman to work. That teaching caused me no end of grief. On Friday I was speaking to two elderly aunts who took exception to their church teaching that contraception was wrong. I remember my mother suffering under this legalism. However, her doctor told her she would die if she did not take contraceptions, she went to her priest and received special dispensation. Wh...

There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. But a poor man named Lazarus, covered in sores, was left at his gate. He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man's table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus at his side. 'father Abraham' he called out, 'have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!' 'Son' Abraham said, 'remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony'. Luke 16: 19-25   Jesus, Himself, told this story. For those who believe there is no hell, they are in for a shock ...

The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the Kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is strongly urged to enter it But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to drop out. Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman ( except on the grounds of unfaithfulness Matt 5: 32) commits adultery, and everyone who marries a divorced woman ( unless her husband committed adultery) commits adultery. Luke 16:16-18 More and more the Christians are adopting the ways of the world, throwaway marriages. The statistics show that 67%of second marriages fail; 73% of third marriages fail and yet even is Australia people keep going back, looking for a miracle. Yet the miracle is not in a new person, necessarily, but healing and change in behavior that troubled the first. I personally know the pressure and need to be held, listened to and the desire to be sharing life, but I also am witness to the many ...

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and scoffing at Him. And He told them: "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God's sight. Luke 16:14,15 As I walk down the street I can almost feel the pride in hearts as men drive by in their spoiled cars and women walk by in their refined outfits and jewlery. Pride was very evident in the Pharisee's hearts and they strutted their stuff. The only things all the stuff and the pride will do is keep you from the truth and salvation. If I want to have money and/or stuff so that I can be proud then I am wasting my time. Pride hates the truth and it is the truth that sets us free. I much rather walk with the Lord and let Him unfold things in His time. I know that His gifts do not rust and are not eaten up by moths. Each day wasting time plotting on how to get, or self or pride in owner...

Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteousness in very little is also unrighteousness in very much. Luke 16:10 From the very first time I heard about the New Testament Christian's giving, as opposed to my Catholic upbringing, I embraced giving with gusto. The joy of my salvation still carries me. Finding Christ was finding my life, my breath. I had longed to know Him since I was a little girl and the years of Catholicism only frustrated me. I constantly heard, " if you do your Holy Communion you will know Him more; if you receive confirmation you will receive the Holy Spirit; if you pray more; if you go to church more; if you confess more." No amount of ritual saved me and gave me peace but the night He came to the door of my heart knocking I heard and opened up to Him, such joy flooded my soul. So you see I know how long I searched, 19 years, and at 59 I am still grateful. I give out of gratitude. I wan to honor Him ...

Now the older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 'Your brother is here', he told him, 'and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and didn't want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, 'look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.' Luke 15:25-30 Are you the eldest? I am! Years ago my mum and dad, in their early 60's cashed up dad's superannuation and went to a small town with one of my brother to go into a business together. My other brothers and sisters were not impressed, as I was not imp...

But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw His arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, "father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father told his slaves, " quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let's celebrate with a feast because this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found! So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:20-24 From the previous verse we see the son come to his senses and decide to go home to his father. The father saw him from a long way off. He had been watching and waiting for the son's return. Do you remember being in love for that fist time and the one you loved had gone away, even for a few days? You fretted and fussed and longed to see you love. Remember th...

Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he came to his senses, he said, "how many of my fathers hired hands have more than enough food, and here am I dying of hunger! I will get up and go to him and say to him, father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands. So he got up and went to his father. Luke 15:15-20 How wise is repentance! It is genuine, deep and heartfelt. I love to find repentance and not just 'sorry'. 'Sorry' is too keen to move on and expects exhonoration without remorse. Sorry is very self-centred and shallow. This son 'came to his senses', he had a revelation of truth. It is amazing what we must go through to find truth. Jesus once told a story about two sons who the fat...

He also said, "a man had two sons, the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me. So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and travelled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. Luke 15:11-13 How many come to Christ, receive His Holy Spirit and go away feeling clean, feeling real good and squander all that glory on wasteful living? When we receive Christ we are given a pearl of great price, not to lock away, to sell but to open and partake and learn how to live as one who has found treasure. Finding Christ is finding a doorway to eternity. He is the beginning of all things good. He is the source of wisdom, He is the centre of peace, He is the home of grace, mercy and forgiveness. All this and more is in salvation. He is the path to life, the heart of God! Throwing away Christ is like man who bought some property that was fil...

"or what woman who has a valuable diamond ring (interpretation mine)and loses it in the house. She will get down on all fours, pull the furniture apart, empty the vacuum and clean the floor, she will have all the lights on. When she finds it she will Facebook all her girlfriends and arrange a coffee date to celebrate. I tell you in the same way the Lord gets excited and He throws a party for all in heaven to celebrate when someone comes to their senses and realises He is Lord after all. Luke 15:8-10.   Please do not consider me irreverent for the above I am giving a modern day example for the actual scripture in Luke.   This morning my brother handed me a very small diamante earring he found near his pool. He thought it was mine, it wasn't. He was very proud of the fact that he spied it, as it was very small.   I did lose a valuable earring many years ago. I was frantic and scoured the house, the car and even went back to the venue to where I wore it, t...

So He told them a parable, " what man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbours together, saying to them, 'rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep!' I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting than over the 99 righteous people who don't need repentance. Luke 15:2-6 In Australia farmers have large numbers of sheep and invariably one is lost because it wandered, was caught by wild dogs, burned in a fire, drowned in a flood or died of thirst. The picture is not quite the same. As children my brothers and sisters had the pleasure of been given a lamb. As it grew it became a menace eating mums flowers and bunting us kids. Barbie, as it was called was finally given away. Some years ago I lived in a part of town...

All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to Him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, " this man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Luke 15:1,2 I am so grateful He welcomes sinners, aren't you? I am sad that the Pharisees did not recognize their sin and also go to Jesus. What drew sinners to Jesus? Was it grace? What draws sinners to me? Is it grace? Amazing grace? Grace carries no judgement, no attitude. It is totally free, totally whole. Yet grace draws the lost, the hungry. What makes grace so attractive? Pure peace, pure rest, pure freedom, pure Love, pure God. The sound of grace is spirit voiced, whispered by a loving God. 'I love you and forgive you, it calls!' Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Amen!

Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste,how will it be made salty? Luke 14:34 We as Christians are referred to the salt of the world. therefore if we lose our flavour we become ineffective. However, we have something that natural salt does not have, repentance. As I turn, again, back to The Lord, He welcomes me, repentance is beautiful in that it never fails to restore. Jesus wants us salty and just as we need a shower daily we can bathe in His presence and be restored. I am so grateful that my Lord is loving, forgiving and ever willing to wash me clean by the word. He is perfect and because of that He is an ever willing Saviour. Amen! Being the salt of the world can be as simple as a thoughtful smile, a refusal to react in kind to another, an act of generosity or forgiveness is another's sin towards us. Most importantly it is sharing Christ in any and every circumstance. What is that? Preaching you say? Christ lived and treated others with love and forgiven...

For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him, saying, 'this man started to build and wasn't able to finish.' Luke 14:28-30 Being a Christian is no walk in the park. Laying down our own lives to follow Christ requires grit and determination as we have an enemy who will throw all he has at us to dissuade us from our purpose. We are so keen to get numbers that we fail to instruct on value so that cost is diminished. A lesson of sales is that if a client can perceive how valuable the service is then they will be willing to pay the price. A client who fully understands value and the precious nature of a commodity then price is not an issue. Price only becomes an issue when value is not explained or fully appreciated. The same applies in preaching the gospel. We are not...

Now great crowds were travelling with Him. So He turned to them: "if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters- yes, and even his own life- he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:25-27 This can seem harsh, especially the use of the word 'hate'. I think of it this way: I have an elderly mum and I love her and pray for her but I do not love her more than The Lord. I love her because of the Lord's presence in my life. I have a younger sister coming to visit today and I love her but my love for The Lord is stronger, to the point I would not let my sister dominate my love for Christ. My decisions about my life as a Christian must be greater than my love for my sister. For example, say my sister wanted me to participate in something my faith would not allow then my love for her has to be filtered by my love for my Lord. I cannot compro...

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:11 When as are caught up in the flesh we boast, strut and preen ourselves. Yet when we abide in the spirit none of that matters. I am learning to rest in the spirit and I must say it is a delightful, peaceful place. No matter what appears to be going on The Lord has, at a lowers level, all things in His hands. There is enough for exactly what He has planned, and what he has planned will work out just as He intends it to. Our flesh thinks we need certain things for us to be happy. Phooey! Unless it is of God it is all smoke and mirrors. We need only and exactly, precisely, what He intends and He will provide. I need not agitate and blame others. It is not their concern, only His. Back to the text.'if God exalts then it will be good but if He doesn't don't go there or suffer you will!

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. They will come from the east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table in the Kingdom of God. Note this; some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last." Luke 13:28-30   Jesus sure knew how to aggravate the Pharisees, we need Him to aggravate us if our behaviour becomes Pharisaical.   The second coming of Christ is real and pending, He is coming soon. The foolish slave became complacent when the owner delayed and started to live unrighteously. When the owner came the slave was dealt with and thrown out.   We need to keep our lamps burning brightly and be ready for Him. He is coming for His bride, the one who has washed her clothes in the blood of the lamb.   Self-righteousness will not suffice! Works of the flesh will be burned up. Only Faith p...

As He was teaching in one synagogue on the Sabbath, a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for over 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw he'd, He called out to her, "woman, you are free of your disability." Then He laid His hands on her, and instantly she was restored and began to glorify God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded by telling the crowd, "there are six days when work should be done; therefore come on those days and be healed and not on the Sabbath day." But The Lord answered him and said. "Hypocrites! Doesn't each of you untie his ox or donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it to water? Satan has bound this woman, a daughter of Abraham, for 18 years- shouldn't she be untied from this bondage on the Sabbath day?" When He said this His adversaries were humiliated. Luke -3:10-17 Do you have set rules t...

And He told a parable: a man had agog tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He told the vineyard worker, "listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?" But he replied to him, "sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilise it. Perhaps it will bear fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down." Luke 13:6-9 The fig tree represented Israel in scripture. Jesus had given it three years. In verse 23 Jesus was asked, " lord, are there few being saved?" Jesus replied, "make every effort to enter by the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won't be able once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. " verse 34,35 The gospel Jesus gave was not a cushy number. Jesus demanded sacrifice and dedication and many were quite happy with their cushions in their ...

He said to the crowds: " when you see a cloud rising in the west. Right away you say, ' a storm is coming,!and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing you say, 'it's going to be a scorcher!' And it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky, but why don't you know how to interpret this time?" Luke 12:54-56 We have a saying: 'red sky at night a shepherd's delight, red sky in the morning sailors warning.' There are things we ignore and should not we can be so busy being busy that we miss the signals. We can choose to be blind to our circumstances, those of family and friends. When someone takes their own life we can realise we saw but chose to ignore. My dad chose to live a certain way but paid the price by dying from cancer. He did not eat well, he drank and in days past he smoked. He died from lung, liver and bowel cancer, he also had a bad attitude. Ignoring truth is not good the cost is gre...

"I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! But I have a baptism to be baptised with, and how it consumes Me until it is finished!" Luke 12:49,50 My bible exposition says this fire was a fire of judgement but I believe Jesus had the fire of the Holy Spirit that had to be first poured our on the earth. As the Holy Spirit was poured out in tongues of fire the proceeding verses came to pass. Families were divided in their beliefs. All over the world the people who break with their cultural beliefs and choose Christ are cut off from their families. The Holy Spirit is ready to do mighty things in the earth and seeks willing vessels to take the fire. Lethargy and blindness in the church will not do! Arise oh sleeper arise! Amen!

"Lord" Peter asked "are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?" The Lord said: "who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? "Much will be required of everyone who has been given much and even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more." Luke 12:41-48 Jesus answered Peter's question with a story. From reading the whole story you can easily see He answered Peter's question and the answer was 'take you pick!' Or 'of course'. The apostles were given the roles of tending the flock, feeding them the word They were accountable for their words and deeds. Abusing the sheep was not on the agenda. What are you accountable for? A family? Friends? Workmates?

Be ready for service and have your lamps lit. You must be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet so that when He comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. Those slaves the master finds alert when he comes will be blessed. I assure you He will get ready, have them recline at table, then come and serve them. If he comes in the middle if the night, or even near dawn, and finds them alert, those slaves are blessed. But know this: if the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have not let his house be broken into. You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you least expect." Luke 12:35-40 The thief works with an element of surprise. I have experienced this. A thief broke into my home when I was out an trashed the place and took what I valued most, an heirloom my mother had given me. It had sentimental value to me. That aside, Jesus is saying, just like the thief He will turn up when w...

Don't be afraid little flock. Because your Father delights to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money bags for yourselves that won't grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke -2:32-34 Don't you love the language in these passages. It is almost as if Jesus is falling to little children. We really don't understand Kingdom dynamics do we? It is not about stuff! If we allow Him to show us He will peel away the layers and show us what is really important- people and our God. Amen! He takes care of everything else, that really matters, that is. In the process He sets us free: My soul is escape like a bird out of the snare of the fowler (psalm -124:7) The snare is broken and we are escaped blessed be the name of The Lord! When we are truly free, how good that is no longer so we become offended at God because He ...

Then He said to His disciples: "therefore I tell you, don't worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens. They don't sow or reap; they don't have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren't you much more than the birds? Can you add a cubit to his height by worrying? If then you're not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?" Luke 12:22-26 Our God truly provides when we stop fretting. Our points if view are so small and so narrow and attached to such small fields. When we totally let go of anxious thinking and rest He is there, in fact He goes before us. What good is anxiety if it provides nothing good and worthwhile? It releases chemicals that fight our immune system, our heart races, our heads hurt, why? Because we listen to the wrong voice. Our God has a plan and we have to trust that plan, not our own. Amen! ...

Then He told them a parable: "a rich mans land was very productive. He thought to himself, 'what should I do, since I don't have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this, he said. "I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store my grain and my goods there. Then I'll say to myself, "you have many goods stored up foray years. Take it easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself." But God said to him, "you fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared- whose will they be?" That's how it is with the one who stores up treasures for himself and is not rich towards God." Luke 12:16-21 This story ties in with the parable of Lazarus and the rich man who's gates he sat at begging for bread. (Luke 16:19) Jesus did not criticism the rich man for being rich but because he was full of self-importance and ignored the heart of God and the why he had been created and for what purpose he had wealth...

Then He told them, " watch out and be on your guard against all greed because your life is not in the abundance of possessions. Luke 12:15 Jesus had just been asked to settle a dispute between a young man and his brother over an inheritance. The rabbis were the ones who settled such disputes but Jesus refused and seeing greed at play spoke to it. I see the need for more and the buying of unnecessary stuff in plague proportions. Cars don't go into garages because they are full of stuff. I find that moving regularly can rid you of unwanted stuff. Our measure or stature in our community is not about stuff but standing before God. What did Jesus do? He himself said He had nowhere to lay His head. His focus was on the Kingdom and where God wanted Him to be. As a Christian what should mine be? What is important? As I focus on getting I am consumed with consumerism, not the Gospel. I must keep my eyes on Him, He will provide. Amen!

There is nothing covered that wont be uncovered, nothing hidden that wont be made known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Luke 12:2,3 Ever whispered a secret, with a 'don't tell anyone' message? I think we all have. Today as I was walking my dogs I realised that the morning I has said something to a friend about how things will be in a certain area and I realised that my words became a reality throughout today. Words are creative and powerful. Words take form and are no longer safely tucked away inside our heads. Anything that lives is seen. Spoken words change our behavior towards either the person we talked about or the circumstances. If it is a person our behavior tell them things are different between us, thus our words are revealed. Words cannot remain hidden as they carry creative power. If we have spoken rashly or spoken ill abo...

He began to say to His disciples first:" be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Like 12:1 What causes hypocrisy? Is it not caused by a fearful, insecure person endeavoring to control their world and those around them? You might say, "no! more like an arrogant self-righteous person!" But I would counter with, " appearances are deceptive, look deeper!" There is freedom in facing the truth, in saying "I do not know the answer". Coming into the light requires us to be honest and lay down all pretense. Our flesh wants to control to 'feel' better but really the feeling is a sham because deep beneath the gloss is the emptiness, failure, lack of fulfillment. Oh the joy in not running to 'fix it' mode but standing still and seeing the glory of God. Right at the coal face of fear, hurt, shame, disappointment is the answer, the gold, the prize. Embrace the truth and be free! Amen!

No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full if darkness. Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part if it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you." Luke 11:33-36 In my business life I am very much aware that to remain relevant to the coming generations I must learn where the future is going in regard to communicating a message and making a sale. I am constantly reading and learning as I am compelled to lead the way. As a Christian I am compelled to press into God and develop sight and hearing that will keep me in Him and always moving according to His timetable, not mine. I am aware that I do not know all that there is to know and that th...