The day with dianne Louise

However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. On the contrary, we speak God's hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom predestined before the ages of our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind- God prepared this for those who loved Him. Now God revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything even the depths of God. 1 Cor 2:6-10 Wisdom is available for God's people but it is not human wisdom and cannot be mixed with human wisdom. God's wisdom says wait, when mans wisdom says go; God's wisdom says, I will provide, when man's wisdom says  you have to do; god's wisdom says to love, when man's wisdom says to shun. We cannot operate with an impure flow. We are...

When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. For I didn't think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be based on men's wisdom but on God's power. 1 Cor 2:1-5 I love a good intelligent conversation but to want everything, including the gospel packaged that way would be missing out on the diversity of life. My experience of Christ was relational from the beginning. As a child I grew up with a head knowledge of Christ but longed for more, Him. In Christianity wanting to package Christ in lovely sermons or discertations is foolish because He is relationship and power. Knowing Him is knowing the source of power. His power comes into my world again and ...

Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many are powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world- what is viewed as nothing- to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us- our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: the one who boasts must boast in the Lord (Jeremiah 9:24)  1 Cor 1:26-31 I don't know about you but I have, at time, lamented that I am not clever enough, wise enough or good enough, but that is exactly what my God wants. If I am strong then I boast in myself, but it is when I am weak that I trust and cling to my God. In Christ I am all I need to be, His wisdom is resident in me,...

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God's power to us who are being saved. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. (Is 29:14) Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made the world's wisdom foolish? For since, in God's wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. 1Corinthians 1:18-21 The message of accepting Christ by confessing our sins and inviting Him into our hearts seems to simple, but there is only one way and that is His way. We can place our trust in our worlds, which we have created, only to watch it fall like a house of cards. When it falls we are not able, in out own strength, to stop that fall. It is the story of the man or woman who builds their house on sand instead of a rock. Only a rock can...

Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our aloes Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of achloe's household, that there is rivalry among you. 1 Cor 1:10,11 Tonight I have my two sisters staying over, as our mother had a major operation yesterday and my sisters travelled from their homes to be in town to see mum. We cooked pizza together, had a glass of wine and played Rummiking. Three sisters playing games inevitably begin to disagree and we did, but had to come to agreement to move on. Fortunately we are mature enough to do so. There was a time when agreement would have been difficult to find. What caused the disagreement? Rivalry and wanting to play the game the way we, individually remembered it. What causes rivalry? Our flesh and wanting our own way. We have to lay down our fleshly d...

I always thank a God for you because of God's grace given to you in Christ Jesus, that by Him you were enriched in everything- in all speech and knowledge. In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, God is faithful; you were called by Him into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 God's grace is what makes us who we are in Christ. I can be strong in faith and cause people to wonder but it is God's grace in my life that makes me so. I have known times when there was not grace to do bold things, then I must hang close to my God and trust Him through the fire. I have been through much fire and I am sure more will come, as it tests us and shows us what is within. Am I just a loud gong or clanging cymbal or is there ...

Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet will I triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! Habakkuk 3:17-19 No matter what appears to be happening, with faith in our God and a confession of what He is doing, miracles happen. Today my 83 year old mother went  into theatre for an operation on a suspected cancer. Guess what they found? Adhesions! No cancers! We knew He was here and we confessed what He was doing not what men feared and He was gracious and showed up! How good is God? Within three hours of being in surgery my mum was joking about having Botox therapy on her lip which was swollen and asking for something to drink. Before the operation mum was visited by a nurse who was measuring her up ...

His splendour covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise, His brilliance is like light; Rays are flashing from His hand. This is where His power is hidden. Plague goes before Him, and pestilence follows in His steps. He stands and shakes the earth; He looks and startles the nations. The age old mountains break apart; the ancient hills sink down. His pathways are ancient. Habakkuk 3:3-6 Our God is great, steadfast and dependable, therefore we can praise Him. We can find Him when will give up self-pity, selfishness and laziness and depend on Him first and last. He is our beginning and our end. Nothing persuades Him to leave us. He is faithful. Amen! I sing his praise even in the oven, I sing His praise always, not just when convenient or when I feel like it. He is worthy at all times and always. Amen!

Lord, I have heard the report about You; Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your works in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy! Habakkuk 3:1,2 As the writer of Hebrews tended to do, now so am I: In scripture somewhere it says, " we believed because of what you had told us but now we believe because we have seen it with our own eyes." I no longer believe in God because the bible tells me of His deeds, I now experience them: My God is faithful. This week is a big week but in the weeks leading up to it I refused to entertain it's bigness but focussed on the Lord and in so doing He kept me at peace. Today I had a audit at work and although this year I expanded my office with 4 new staff and didn't quite know what sort of system to put in place, by the audit, it was there. The auditor said: " thank you for such tidy files, you made my job much easier." Out of a rating between A-D I received a B. Last night I prayed that ...

What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carved it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood: Wake Up! Or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all. But the Lord is in His holy temple; let everyone on earth be silent in His presence. Habakkuk 2:18-20 Today, more than ever before, Western households are buying Buddha images and placing them in their homes. They have been seduced into thinking it is of no harm, it is a lovely statue.  We cannot play with fire and not be burned. Crafted images are made by believers and bought by foolish unbelievers. An image carries a seduction, before long the owner starts to be attracted to the sayings of  Buddha, starts to believe they have something special that sets them apart. Yet destruction lies in wait. Our God  came down to this earth and...

Woe to him who gives his neighbours drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness! You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. You also drink, and expose your uncircumcision! The cup of the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory. Habakkuk 2:15,16 In this day we see young people having their drinks spiked so that others can rape them. They seek to take what is not theirs to take by drugging otherwise unwilling participants. We see young women drugged and taken into the sex trade by men who think nothing of using their bodies for their own gain. God has raised up a voice and that voice has amassed an army that is going forth to bring justice to those abused. The abusers are going to jail. The tide is turning. No longer will violent men be able to use and abuse and escape penalty. The day of justice has come. Praise God!

Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! It is not from the Lord of Hosts that the people labour to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord's glory, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:12-14 Babylon was taken by Persia. The once proud, fierce nation was defeated. Yet in the heyday of its rule I am sure that people would look and wonder at its might. The same could have been said about the Roman Empire or the British Empire. I come from British ancestry yet I know that there was wrong done by it. Slavery had to be extricated from its fabric by William Wilberforce. We now have a resurgence of slavery in places such as India where the British ruled between 1600 and 1947. What started as a peaceful relationship through the East a indies Company became political when the East India Company floundered. What did they teach them?  The way we have treated others comes bac...

Woe to him who dishonestly makes wealth for his house; to place his nest on high, to escape from the reach of disaster! You have planned shame for your house by wiping out many many peoples and sinning against your own self. For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer from the woodwork. Habakkuk 2:9-11 The Pharoah's were able to abuse the children of Israel for 400 years, but then God heard their cries. When God decided to act, not amount of stubborn rulership would save the Pharoah. Why did it take the Lord 400 years to act? Perhaps he was amassing a large group of people; perhaps Egypt's corrupt leaders had to reach a certain level of unreachableness. We may never know, but God knows. Just  as in building a house, there are certain rules that need to be adhered to for its construction, even sin has to reach a certain level. Look at the early people. They went on for hundreds of years and wickedness increased all the while, then God acted by calling ...

Woe to him who amasses what is not his- how much longer- and loads himself up with goods taken in pledge? Won't your creditors suddenly arise, and those who disturb you wake up? Then you will become spoil for them. Since you have plundered many nations, all the people who remain will plunder you- because of human villence and bloodshed against lands, cities, and all who live in them. Habakkuk 2:6-8 No matter what flag we fly, if we act unjustly, at any time, injustice will be repaid. The injustice we receive will be at a most inconvenient time, a time when we would prefer peace. The sins of our forefather pollute the land, the blood of those slaughtered in the name of God or purpose that we deemed right at the time, remains blood on the land and it cries out for justice. There is an ear that hears and He will repay. I remember visiting Houston Texas in 1998 and was taken through an area by a friend we were visiting. I asked: "What has happened here?" He replied he did not...

Look, his ego is inflated, he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4 The enemy coming against Judah was Babylon. God tells Habakkuk how arrogant they are but then tells him that His righteous one will live by faith. This verse Paul the apostle refers to in Romans 1:17. You could say that the message is still relevant today. Paul was stating that God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith. In other words, live in faith. Faith is not a once in a lifetime thing, rather a daily, on-going thing. The unrighteousness of the enemy is not an excuse to not live in faith. We must walk by faith. Faith produces the results, unbelief glues us in place with Kragle (Lego movie- Kragle  is glue) Faith is lubricant that keeps us moving. Live by faith! Amen!

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint. The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. Habakkuk 2:1-3 This is a favourite passage of mine. Habakkuk stands on guard whilst he looked, this implies to me, a greater use of his senses. He was not only listening, he was looking out expectantly. When God speaks to Habakkuk, He tells him to write the message down so that others could read it. The message was not just for Habukkuk, but for the tribe  and also for us who come behind. I am grateful to be included. God is so good that He looks down time and includes all those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Amen!

Are you not from eternity, Yahweh my God? my Holy alone, You will not die. Lord, you appointed them to execute judgement; my Rock, You destined them to punish us. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You to,erase those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself? Habakkuk 1:12,13 In verses 5-11 the Lord is telling Habakkuk that He is sending the Chaldeans to deal with His people who are acting wickedly. Habakkuk knows the reputation of the Chaldeans, how evil and cruel they are. I wonder if there is a little fear thing going on here? I know I would not be at peace if the Lord told me He was sending the worst invaders He could find, to teach His church in Australia a lesson. Habakkuk is confused as to why God would use a more wicked bunch of people to teach Judah a lesson. Yet this is what God intends and does. Possible the reason is to capture their attention. They ha...

Look at the nations and observe- be utterly astounded! For something is taking place in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it. Look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter, impetuous nation that marches across the earth's open spaces to seize territories not its own. They are fierce and terrifying; their views of justice and sovereignty stem from themselves,. Habakkuk 1:5-7 We are seeing this in our day: Russia is invading the Ukraine, IS is invading Syria, Iraqu and Lebanon. Nigeria has groups taken with IS idealology. This group is brutal and wants to sweep the world. In western countries groups are flaring and having to be contained.  We are seeing displaced people fleeing the Congo, Columbia, Ukraine, Syria, to name a few. UNHCR state that there are, world wide, 12 million displaced people. Because of social media we are seeing the atrocities, hearing about the unrest. In Habakkuk's day he had to wait for word of mouth. Yet, here he was being inform...

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, Lord, must I call for help and you not listen? Or cry out to You about violence and you do not save? Why do You force me to look at injustice? Why do you to,erase wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted. Habakkuk 1:1-4 Sound familiar? I smiled when I began to read the text, I thought to myself, ' I am going to enjoy this, this man sounds like us.' I have experienced nigh on 11 years of travail, rejection, illness either myself, my mother or one of my children or grandchildren; struggles with finance and the list goes on. However, only recently I knew I had a breakthrough.  Now, stuff still happens: my mother goes in for surgery at 83 for another suspected cancer; today my son went to hospital in agony and discovered he had div...

Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen! Jude:24,25 For Jude to say: ' now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, .... Through Jesus Christ our Lord,' he would have experienced it firsthand. Imagine being able to say this about his brother. A brother he grew up with, played with, fought with, did life with. We know Jesus' family did not believe until He had risen from the dead. They were not with Him in His ministry, He did not have their comfort whilst on the cross, yet they did come to know the truth. The revelation would have been amazing! Wow! To have lived with God on earth and not known it. The transitition from unbelief to belief would have been spectacular, what a revelation! That very revelation would fill Jude up, empower H...

But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude: 20-23 How do you become strong in Christ? Build yourself up in your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, fellowship and study of the scriptures. Tonight I read a post by the reverend Billy Graham who said that the way to save America is to bring back prayer, bible study and fellowship around Christ in the home. Imagine if each home started there, there would be less problems because Christ would be made the centre. We keep in the love of God be practising a relationship with Him. Next we need to show mercy: forgive those who trespass against us. Then we got out to the highways and byways and bring in the lost. Finall...

Now I want to remind you, though you know all these things: the Lord first saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe, and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgement of the great day, the Angels who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practised perversions, just as the Angels did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme glorious ones. Yet Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with the Devil in a debate about Moses' body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" But these people blaspheme anything they do not understand. What they know by instinct like unreasoning animals- they destroy themselves with these things. " woe t...

Dear friends, although I was eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. For some men, who were designated for this judgement long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. Jude 3,4 Is 't it amazing that even today we have such a problem. Grace is a gift from God but not a licence to sin, but rather the empowerment to live righteously. Jude wanted to share good uplifting aspects about the Christian walk but was compelled to stand against heresies that were infiltrating the church. Heresies come when we take things too far. Instead of adding one and one and getting two, these people get 101. Our flesh is a devious and crafty snake, it was born in the pit and needs regeneration. If we allow it to rule it comes up with all sorts of manufactured truth that suit...

Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: to those who are called loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ. May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Jude :1,2 Jude does not call himself brother of our Lord Jesus Christ but he was.. Instead he calls himself slave of Jesus Christ. What a humble posture! As I read this small letter I see similarities with James in a direct approach. He does not mince words. There is heresy in the church and in the same way as Peter was addressing this heresy in 2 Peter, here Jude is speaking directly to it. Though Jude's opening comments show his love for the faithful saints to whom he is writing. Here is a man with authority. He lived with the son of God and did not accept His deity until He had risen from the dead. He knew what it was to believe wrongly but he also knew what it meant to receive the truth, he confesses himself a slave of Jesus Christ, he is totally submitted. For my brothers and sisters to take this postur...

Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led astray by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen! 2 Peter 3:17,18 What do we know in advance? Verse 16b: 'the untaught and unstable twist what they do not understand about the apostle Paul's letters, to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the scriptures.' (Version is mine) I remember as a new Christian gathering together with a lot of other new Christians for fellowship, as often as we could and we studied the scriptures. A couple of young men had interpreted the scripture about women wearing hats in church to mean us girls should be wearing hats, until the leadership caught up with them and all was sorted. Imagine not having a leadership group that had sound scriptural doctrine to guide you, what a d...

But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be n holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and he elements will melt wih the heat. But based on His promises, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell. 2 Peter 3:'10-12 We wait with earnest longing for the second coming but right here and now there is a growing hunger for the presence and manifestation of God in our midst. When we see hearings and hear words of prophesy our hearts jump, especially those of us who have seen this before.  When God manifests His presence a lot of questions cease, we just love to be with Him and everything is all...

First, be aware of this: scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to their own desires, saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:3,4 We will be tempted to think like this, and there will be plenty of folks scoffing at the reality of Christ and His promised return. It depends what we feed on. Do we fill up on worldly knowledge and believe the lie or do we stay in the world of God and practice the truth? What will you believe? What will you say? Where will you hang out? Where will you fellowship?" The answer to all these will determine your future. More and more Christmas has become all about Santa, even in Christian homes. While make believe is fun it is not all there is. If every year, on our birthday, our families went to the horse races and celebrated the life and death of a horse and ignored us, how would we feel?  We are His ...

They promised them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them. 2 Peter 2:19 We can put ourselves up as teachers but be enslaved to sins we consider small, but sins nonetheless that are destroying us and others, if we pretend that we have it all together and preach a doctrine that lifts us up and puts others down. At times I see in myself an effort to glorify my behaviour with: I did such and such, how good am I? If I then promote such behaviour and in so doing put others down, I reek of self-righteousness and then not only am I in bondage but am promoting that bondage to others. This is deception at its best. But this is what I do. Do you? When I see this I must repent and in so doing humble myself before God because only He is good. Amen!

But there were also false prophets among the people (of old), just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the ways of truth will be blasphemed because of them. They will exploit you in their greed with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3 I have been a  Christian since I was 19, I am now 60. I have seen and heard much. I remember a time when a woman who was married to a man in ministry was looked down upon because she worked. The church made judgements on things it should have kept out of and hurt many. I felt so guilty because I worked. A lot of what was said and done was done in ignorance but with a distinct lack of grace. Where did that leave me? I had a lot to work through but because I loved the Lord, I clu...

For we did not follow. cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eye witnesses of His majesty. For when He received honour and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the majestic glory: " This is My beloved Son, I take delight in Him." And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him, on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart. First of all, you should know this: no prophesy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, because no prophesy ever came by the will of man, instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:16-21 The people Peter was writing to were beginning to believe false doctrines and he was writing to correct them. He was an eye witness and his testi...

I consider it right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder, knowing that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has also shown me. And I will also make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure. 2 Peter 1:13-15 Peter knew his time to die was at hand, the Lord had shown him. Yet here he was writing, one last time, to encourage the church. Peter talks of his body as being like a tent. That is a good analogy as we are too precious about our bodies at times. A tent is something we go in and out of without attachment. Our spirit man is the important part as this is the eternal us. Our 'tent' will die and crumble yet our spirits will live forever. As caring for our tent is important otherwise it will leak, succumb to the storm and our stays will tear. I remember being caught in a storm, my tent was lifted up and the rain came in, I was saturated. When a storm is imminent we should give extra ...

For the very reason (God's very great promises given to us), make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Chrust will be richly supplied to you. 2 Peter 1: 5-11 When in receipt of salvation, that which we received by faith given to us, we have an open door to the great promises of God. To appropriate these promises we begin to supp...

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3,4 Jesus imparts His own goodness and glory to us who believe. He has given us His promises, in fact they are very great and precious and they have been given to me, one who does not deserve them. What love is this? To give all that is precious to one who does not deserve it. Have you gone out of your way to find someone, not a nice deserving someone, but a horrible and undeserving someone and given them your daughter in marriage? Who would do such a thing? And why? We would be considered parents deserving of losing our children and being locked away. We are told that God's love does this. He not only gave away His only Son but let Him be crush...

Now the God of all grace, who called you to the eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. The dominion belongs to Him forever. Amen Here we see that our God has grace well and truly in His control. In fact I might hazard to say, well or totally in His control. If I exhibit grace it is because He gave it to me first. Amen! My natural proclivity is a lot less than. Flesh is not gracious, not purely, there is always a god element in it, a wrestling of glory for self. If is is totally free of self then it must be God given. This God of grace calls us to eternal glory in Christ. We must glory in the finished work of the cross, not ourselves, otherwise we are on the track to idolatry. He will restore me, establish me, strengthen me and support me, why? After I have suffered a little. How do I suffer? Being rejected, despised, spoken ill of. Not that I am in that place right now, I have been for the longest...

Be serious, be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8,9 Peter's exhortation: be serious, be alert, calls us Western. Heisting to rightly be aware of the big picture. What is happening across the world, what is my responsibility? What does God want me to do? Surely this life is not about collecting things, gluttony and self-indulgence. Why am I here? We have a real enemy, his names are Satan, the Devil to name a few. He is a destroyer, prison maker, liar, cheat, gossip and slanderer. He is looking for someone to devour, let it not be you. Again suffering is the topic. Perhaps Peter had heard that this group of people were suffering, or complaining about suffering. There were plenty of Christians suffering but the more they suffered the less it became an issue. I just r...

In the same way, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because 'God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on Him, because He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 What causes us to be arrogant? Fear, anxiety, wrong thinking. When we are afraid that others will not treat us well, we take charge and force them by our behaviour. Arrogance hurts others but more importantly it hurts us. By subjecting ourselves, in faith, to the elders, then we are safe. Notice I said in faith. If I subject myself in fear and trembling I will be abused but if I do it in faith, trusting God to use those elders, God acts on my behalf. Young men are addressed in the above scripture, probably because young men are full of attitude and energy and are 'going to do it themselves,' whereas Peter, who wa...

Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of the Messiah and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you: shepherd God's flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God's will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being an example to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4 Peter had runs on the board, he had gone before, He had walked with Jesus and knew a relationship that the ones who came after could only respect and wonder about. He had authority in saying: 'shepherd God's flock among you.'   Jesus had taught about the characteristics of a good shepherd, 'He lays down His life for His sheep.' The role of a shepherd was not that of an overseer or an employee but one who would die for the sheep. This requires heart and soul, sacrifice and trust. As I have said b...

Dear friends, don't be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as your share in the suffering of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory. 1 Peter 4:12,13 Peter is again back on the theme of suffering, as Christ's representatives and sharers in His sufferings. We cannot expect an easy life of obscurity, for a Christian is a light on a hill, a lamp in a house. We have a message. Jesus Himself was not received by His people, why then do we complain when rejected? Fiery ordeals come upon us to test us. What needs testing? Our faith, our confession, our beliefs, our attitudes, our works. If we are not tested we don't know what we know and what we don't know. When we discovers these truths we can change direction or be encouraged to keep going. I undertook a unit of study over the last three months. It has proven to severely stretch me. I am doin...

Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be serious and disciplined for prayer. Above all maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God's words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him be glory and the power forever and ever. Amen! 1 Peter 4:7-11 The end of all things is now nearer than Peter imagined, yet still it might tarry. For some death will take them home. Death here is merely stepping into the transporter into eternity, how exciting! Therefore, be serious and disciplined in prayer. I do pray but I must admit I have not been so disciplined to pray for those in my world, daily. Yet after hearing a message on Sunday from Philippians 2, ...

And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? But even if you suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but honour the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience. Lear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:13-16 As I read the verse: ' and who will harm you?' I am mindful of a quiz show I watch called 'The Eggheads.' The Eggheads are the best quiz team in the UK and each time they defeat their opponents the compere says: "but who will defeat you?" He is constantly reaffirming their excellence in quizzing. Peter, in this verse, in confirming the safety we have in Christ from the suffering brought on by bad behaviour and bad choices. He then goes on to say: ' but even if you s...

The one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, and he must turn away from evil and do what is good. He must seek peace and pursue it, because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil. 1 Peter 3:10-12 Speaking evil and having an unforgiving heart can make us sick. I am watching two people who are facing illness: one is an offended heart, the other struggles with judgement. The problem with speaking evil is having to deal with cancer and other horrible diseases. An offended heart causes us to face disease instead of life. When I am sick I must first look at me, have I done something to send my protector away? Then, and only then, can I blame the devil. The 'evil' above must be  Christian because Peter says: the one who wants to love life.....must seek peace and pursue it, because the eyes of the Lord are on the ...

Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8,9 Paying back is a worldy concept of getting even. Believers have the Spirit of Christ inside and have access to a better way. I can walk in the flesh and become miserable or in the spirit and become a blessing and be blessed. Loving the church can be difficult if we don't attend. By being in church you are drawn into fellowship. Fellowship happens in small groups. Small groups is where you get to know people and rub against each other. Yesterday I spent time as a part of a team at church and after church invited people home to get to know them. Some people are difficult, as I am sure I can be. I love order and have to be mindful of not judging others by my standards but allowing them to be uniqu...

Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honour as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 Our interpretation of the words used can somewhat inflame in the Independant woman. However, if we take it all in context we see honour given to the woman as a coheir. That, in my language means equal. Being called weaker, in right in physical strength mostly and emotional strength often. I hear grace, honour and an encouragement to respect the wife so that God would listen to the husbands prayers.  Any time I find a man honouring I respond, putting down and I see red. This little chick can be a raging bull at times. However I can be a good friend and trust the Lord in relating to all people. It is not my place to boss or command or overpower. Not a good look. Allowing God to be God in the lives of His people takes off a lot of pressure. Amen!

In the same way, wives, submit to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over without a message by the ways their wives live when they observe your pure, reverent lives. Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God's eyes. 1 Peter 3:1-4 The opening phrase, 'in the same way,' refers to the previous chapter when Peter talks about all submitting to governing authorities and slaves submitting to their masters both good and bad. The whole underlying theme is learning God's way. Jesus came as a man and submitted to the governing authorities, ahe was God, yet while on earth He submitted to the earthly authorities. Peter is trying to tell us that blessing flow when we catch the 'God way' to live and a...

For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25 Baa! We are sheep folks! Praise God sheep are not left to themselves or they would be in serious strife. In my childhood days we had a sheep as a pet. What a stupid animal. It ate all the flowers, caused havoc and started attacking us. It needed looking after, as in having it's tail docked to prevent fly blown disease, it had to be sheared, fed and watered. A dog is a much better pet. In fact we had two of these and they were great companions, not so the sheep. We had chicken as well, good for eggs and for eating. But best of all were the dogs. I remember camping out one night, under the stars, down in the orchard. It became quite cool and my dog Pip lay on my feet and kept me warm. If we study sheep we can glean insight into our own behaviour. When ever we become puffed up and proud, pull out a sheep and we get a reality check. The beautiful thing is, that altho...

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. You have been healed by His wounds. 1Peter 2:24 If the sins I face have ready been faced and paid for, why do I struggle? Perhaps it is the lack of understanding and revelation about the full work of the cross. Yet this lack of understanding does not make it any less real. Yesterday I tried to play a video from a stick straight into my TV. I have never tried that before but I worked out how it could happen. The fact that I had never done it before did not mean that the feat was impossible, it just meant I had to learn that truth. The same goes for me understanding all that Christ has done for me. The fact is He paid all the cost required. The reality is I am still appropriating all that truth. What is right? The truth of what had been done.  Therefore it behoves me to hunger for truth instead of whining about the circumstances I find myself in due to  my lack of ins...

He did not commit sin, And no deceit was found in His mouth; When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; When He was suffering, He did not threaten but entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:22,23 Oh Lord be my strength! When reviled by strangers, that is acceptable, but when you think you belong and are ostricised then it is hard. It is as if your skin is being peeled off you and you are left in agony of soul and bleeding, it is like white hot irons. Yet, was this not what my saviour experienced for me? Verse 21 previously tells us that this is our lot because Christ suffered for me, I should also suffer and be a godly example. We can endure suffering because He is our strength, and only because He is our strength. Sometimes we suffer because we refuse to move, we are made to move. Get up! Shake off the dust and strengthen those weary limbs that hand down, put a word of worship in your mouth and watch the new begin. I watched Walter Mitty ( I think that is how...

Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it brings favour if, mindful of God's will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favour from God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. 1Peter 2:18-21 How does this work? Our western culture rises up and leaves, fights back, goes to the trade union. Yesterday I read a post on Facebook about the trafficking of people in India to work on tea plantations. Employers do not want to pay the minimum wages and so a market for slaves opens up and innocent people are lured into slavery. There are two parallels running in this world of ours and have been since time began. There are those who control and those who profit from the poor on ...

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by Him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. As God's slaves, live as free people, but don't use your freedom as a way to conceal evil. Honour everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the Emperor. 1 Peter 2:13-17 I wonder has anything changed? Well, we don't have an Emperor in Australia. We have a democratically elected government, but does that mean because I voted for them they do my bidding? Does it mean that I do not need to obey them or the laws they create? I don't think Peter would agree with the decision to rubbish a government just because we were given the right to vote. I thInk respect goes a long way.  What does God say: honour your leaders. Whether I vote them in or not I should pray for my ...

Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak evil against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:11,12 Okay we have been told!  We are strangers and temporary residents so don't become too attached to things in this world. Fleshly desires wage war against us. By living Godly lives the unbelievers will come to glorify God when He turns up in their lives, even if they have spoken evil against us. I do myself undue grief by:  lusting for worldy goods Allowing fleshly desires to control me I do myself a favour by: Living a godly life and being self-controlled (more Spirit controlled) Happy living! I have been awake since 3 studying for an exam tomorrow. I have also been praying about the next step. The Lord gave me the next step whilst studying ...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are G od's people; you had not received  mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9,10 This is how God views us. We need to speak of ourselves as if we are what He says we are. There is no room for mealy mouthed confessions of hopelessness, inadequacy, failure, foolishness. This is not who we are.  I am blessed and highly favoured by the Lord! I am blessed in all I do. I am seated with Him in heavenly places. All my enemies are under His feet. So what if I can feel the failure, the inadequacy of my foes, I do not need to own their plight. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I can do, I can do, I can do ALL things through Christ who works in me. I have to believe His word, step out on His word. Amen!

Look! I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honoured cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame! So honour will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving; The stone that the builders rejected- this One has become the cornerstone, And A stone for stumbling over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this. But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, A holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1Peter 2:6-10   Peter pulls scripture from Isaiah and Psalms to show that Jesus was the very stone from which the wall began, in his day a house began with a cornerstone. His presence caused the projections an measurements to be right. He is our beginning. To those who reject Him He...

So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good. Coming to Him, a living stone- rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God- you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-5 We have a saviour who denied Himself self-pity and had every reason to give in, yet He denied sin its place in His life. Peter is telling us that Christ is a 'living' stone. He chose life continually, He embodied life continually. He went before us and showed the way, the way of life. He told us to come to Him when we labour, look to Him when all else crowds us in, seek His face when the storms roll in. He has a right to say these things and he has a right to call us to walk as He walked, talk as He talk...

By obedience to the truth (through the Spirit), having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again- not of perishable seed but of imperishable- through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:22,23 Here we have it - obedience to the truth, not to how I am feeling about you or what is happening in my world, but according to the truth. There is only one source of truth, the Word of God. If I deal with myself and my neighbour according to the word of God, I do well. Because the word brings life through the Spirit, whereas in myself no good thing dwells. I can only walk this way, by the Spirit. He gives me the way, the path, the light to walk on that path. Amen! If I first go to God to have my heart cleansed, then my attitude to you comes from a pure heart. In the Lord's Prayer  Jesus taught us to ask for forgiveness so that we could forgive. Forgiveness comes from a forgiven heart. A forgiven...

And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially based on each one's works, you are to conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary residence. For you know you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was chosen before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times for you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21 We will be judged with what we did with the Son of God and the righteousness He gives; Did we walk in it or run in our own strength? Did we call His sacrifice of no account by our self-righteousness? Conducting ourselves in fear refers to having a healthy respect for truth and knowing the importance of living in that truth. I was redeemed from my empty wa...

As obedient children do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But the One who called you is holy, you also also are to be holy in all you conduct; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:14, 15 This speaks to ALL the hidden, not so obvious things we allow ourselves to do: the over -indulgences, the slacknesses, the self-sin, the 'little foxes that spoil the vine' things. If we are to be holy, set apart, as He is then we see there is no room for the 'little ' things. We all have these things and fail to address them because they are 'little'. When we read scripture we see the result of retaining the 'little' things. The children and the children's children still have these but now they are large stumbling blocks. Let us deal with them now so that we do not plant seed that will grow up as weeds and choke our children and grandchildren.  Remember: in ALL your conduct, be Holy. Allow God in and let Him be your strengt...

Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13 Minds ready for action. Wow! is your mind ready for action or has it slipped into lazy ease? A mistaken Christian belief is that life should be easy because we have asked Christ into our lives. What foolishness! Peter then exhorts us to be serious and set our hope completely on the grace brought to us by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Being called to be serious means there is an element of reflection, contemplation, insight and understanding. Our God is a God of action, movement, change. We are a people of action, movement and change. Being a Christian I have no option to be lazy and indolent. I am called to act and move. I am made in my Father's image and He rested one day out of seven but on the other six He worked but oh! what a beautiful work that was. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, ca...

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they would not be serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things. 1 Peter 1:10-12 The Old Testament if filled with a longing for a redeemer, for Christ. The New Testament is full of rejoicing about having found Christ but a longing to be with Him in glory. Isn't it interesting that the saints of old were indured with the 'Spirit of Christ,' within? How can this be? The new birth came with Christ. I remember the time period when the Spirit was bringing me to a relationship with Christ. ...

Praise be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. according to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. you rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith-more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire-may result in praise, glory, and honour a the revelation of Jesus Christ. You love Him, though you have not seen Him. and although not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1 :3-9 Praise God! I am so grateful for my God's mercy, I am grateful for the new birth ...

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: to the temporary residents dispersed in Pontis, Galatia, Capprodicia, Asia, and Birhynia, chosen to the foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit for obedience and the sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:,2 Ah! Back in the New Testament. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy the dispensation of grace as opposed to be in the wilderness of sin and struggling to be right with God, Old Testament. Peter knew who he was and his message went to the temporary residents throughout the region who were living in a land that was not their homeland, it does not seem like much has changed.  The are ao many disposed in our current world.  We can focus on our pain and lack or on the goodness of God and seek how we can serve Him in our new circumstances. We are set apart by grace for obedience not our own self satisfaction. What would God have me do? Who would He have me minister to? To...