The day with dianne Louise

For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:6‭-‬8 HCSB The mind that is set on the flesh has itself as the governor, what is in it for me, what do I get out of this? A self-focussed life is destructive and dishonoring to the Lord of all. As a Christian, I am His servant. The question is rather: how will this honour Him? Selfishness destroys me, destroys my witness and my standing as a Christian. It is fraught with guilt and shame. There is no true freedom here. I am undone. Before the Lord I am filthy with my decision to clothe myself in flesh, arrogance and pride. Conversely, walking in the Spirit is clean, humble and a joy. Here the Spirit dwells. We are not alone. We have company, good company, His company. Amen!

For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” John 3:20‭-‬21 HCSB I am sure there is not much awareness of 'coming into the light' with mankind that does not know the Lord. There would not be an inclination, however unless that person had a depth of insight and understanding, this would not be the case. If they do know then they would also know they are in danger. For the Christian, an awareness of the light and a conviction of sin would be more acute. If we, the Christians want to do something but don't feel we can tell anyone or talk about it, this is usually a sign it is not a walk in the light but rather the dark side. If we be honest we can admit we are being deceived, at that point. Are our deeds accomplished by God? Then we will want to come into the light regarding our actions. I ...

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5‭-‬6 HCSB Real wisdom, untainted by flesh comes from God. Real wisdom flows in the halls and passageways of God. It is a part of Him. It is clean, wholesome, pure and refreshing. Faith is in His wisdom. Whilst it requires faith to receive it it is full of faith and calls us to great exploits. God's wisdom is full of 'Ah!' moments. Real wisdom brings life to others. Real wisdom fills up the wells of salvation with fresh clean water. God's wisdom clears away the fog, in fact it breaks through the fog. Waiting for God's wisdom is best, then life will flow in all we do. Amen! Seek it! Live in it!

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 HCSB We all want people to take us seriously. Here we are being encouraged to be serious. What is this in reference to? I think as a Christian I must accept the serious fact that I am in a war and that I have an enemy-the devil. We have this in-built desire for an easy life. Where do we get this idea from? Perhaps from childhood. If it is from childhood then we need to grow up and accept reality. We are in a war. We all see ads for people to join the armed forces. Whilst the ads make things look attractive there is danger and injury, sometimes fatal injury. Recently American seamen were killed in peacetime just through a collision. When we are not serious about our walk with Christ we can collide with things....

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1‭-‬2 HCSB The beginning 'My little children's seems at odds with the word Propitiation found here. This word is a Greek word that is also used in Exodus, Romans and Hebrews and here in 1 John. That word- hilasterion means covering as in the mercy seat. Jesus is the covering of our sins. Jesus was and is pure, holy and righteous, without sin. He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 HCSB How good is God? When I see TV shows depicting what man without God thinks about or lives like, it is empty, void of life without Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. I have no life without Him. He is my ...

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. Galatians 5:16‭-‬17 HCSB As a Christian I am not here to please myself. Christianity is counter-culture. Our societies are full of people who please themselves amd in so doing hurt the vinerable: thr children and old people. I remember uears ago watching a movie about a society where everyone is below 30 amd once you got to 30 you were terminated. I think it was called Logans run. The hero of the tale decides to run for his life and he takes others with him. We see a push for euthanasia and we could easily extropolate out to where above a certain age is not acceptable. The West is falling fast into degradation and only a move of God will heal it. My prayer if for my country, my state and my city. I claim purity for the church and the...

But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. Ephesians 5:3‭-‬4 HCSB The Lord is returning for a bride who's clothes are white as snow. Imagine Him turning up in the middle of a crude joke. How would that be? I think we would know straight away that would not be appropriate. Our churches need to uphold purity. We are to be the light to the world. We are that when purity is what the world sees and is attracted to. Therefore, in playing my part I must watch, read and endorse pure things. Last night I watched two police drama shows. How lost the characters were. There was all manner of lying, deception and destruction of lives. I came away thinking, I must make better use of my leisure time. The search for what is good is getting harder but not impossible. Treat it as a treasure hunt. I am creative and can use my time making t...

This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit. And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world’s Savior. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God. 1 John 4:13‭-‬15 HCSB The very best experience is inviting Christ into your life for then His Holy Spirit comes to reside. When He resides He confirms we are children of God, we know we belong. We begin to love God, love fellowship, love the bible and prayer. You might say we have a new focus, a new delight. Yesterday I went to astronomy again. In the club have a lot of men and a few women. I love them all and desire to serve them. Although I am single I am not alone. Occasionally the men's wives come along and I love them also. I do not feel marginalised. I have Jesus. Last night we had visitors to the club and one of the men gave our American visitors a tour of our southern night sky. I loved it. The sky...

But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:35‭-‬36 HCSB As a financial planner I know that lending expecting nothing in return, in the natural world, is a recipe for disaster. However, in God's kingdom, brings rewards. Usually the rewards are a change in our enemies hearts, a closer walk with our God and the learning of new things about our God. Yesterday I had a surprise call from the man I had been trying to talk to in AMP (The financial company I work for). He had found my email and apologised for not getting back to me. I had apologised to his girl the day before because I had a bad attitude when I could not raise him. I am having a battle with AMP at present and have to remember a problem in one area does not constitute one in another. Loving our enemies and do...

This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn't keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:3‭-‬6 HCSB Do you ever find yourself in a day when you are tipped over and you see exactly what is within by your reaction. Well, yesterday was one of those days. I was unable to contact a department that had led me to believe they were willing and able to be contactable a week ago. I had tried over a week ago and the head man's email came back with, sorry I am on leave until.... please contact this person..... Or this person.... So after waiting a week I thought he would respond, no! After a week and one day, no and so I wrote an email to one of the 'others' on the list, no response. I called ...

For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16 HCSB We see mankind strut and propose how creation came into being. The why they do not know. However Paul tells us in the scripture above, it was for God's good pleasure. It pleased Him. It pleased to send His Son in whom all of God was manifest. We must look at what pleases God to understand God. We see in Genesis God created the earth and all that is in it. All the animals, fish and birds. All the smallest creatures were created and He said 'It is good!" God created man and said, "It is good!" The only thing that was not good was that man was alone and so He created woman. All matter seen and unseen was created by God. He holds all thinhs together. If He no longer is pleased He can remake it, He has done this already. We have seen Him wipe ...

Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. Ephesians 4:1‭-‬3 HCSB In chapter three we find some of the best scripture around: I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16‭-‬19 HCSB Chapter 3 appears to end the letter with: Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us ...

God in His holy dwelling is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows. Psalms 68:5 HCSB This Psalm exalts our God. It starts with: God arises. His enemies scatter, and those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke is blown away, so You blow them away. As wax melts before the fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God. Psalms 68:1‭-‬2 HCSB The Psalm is full of God's hiding and deliverance of those who trust in Him and the melting and destruction of our enemies. The world is full of injustice and harness. There is no love, except in the heart of our God. In Him is justice and mercy. Yesterday I had a sudden awareness of a path I should take. I had been a victim of injustice and tried fighting it, to no avail. The Lord showed me to write a letter to the new managing director of the company asking for mercy. I wrote the letter, CC'd in my immediate manager and prayed. Humbling myself and asking for mercy, laying out my case is a shot in the dark but G...

I long for You in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks You, for when Your judgments are in the land, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Isaiah 26:9 HCSB Isaiah is prophesying the end of times when Jesus returns. I remember when I read in Revelation about the time when Jesus returns and rules the earth that although there is justice and righteousness in the earth than men would hate it and rise up against Him. As I look at my world I understand. The persecution of the church is coming from the harlot. Rev 17. She is a prostitute. We are seeing our western nations giving allegiance to sexual sin and persecution of the Christians. If we read chapter 17 we see that great persecution of Christians will arise. I see such a lust for evil in the earth now I can well understand why even though people will be ruled by a just and righteous God, they will hate Him, because He is pure and they hate purity. I have had a revelation about suffering as well. ...

Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over — will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 HCSB This passage is just a portion of a wonderful chapter and comes directly after being told how to love our enemies and not to judge. In this chapter Jesus had picked his team and was teaching them, the Beatitudes are here as well. There are also beautiful parables. So, in light of all that is said in Chapter 6 of Luke, we cannot just peel out a small portion and say: " I am going to give and God will bless me!" Don't be so carnal and mercenary! We must breathe in the heart of Christ in all He says and not just pick and choose to please ourselves. We must live out the heart of Christ. If we give forgiveness in good measure then we are forgiven in abundance; if we give out grace then it comes back to us in abundance; if we give out righteousness then it retur...

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12 HCSB In this chapter, the final chapter of the book of Ephesians Paul firstly tells his readers to obey authority, starting with children and then slaves. Then he goes on the say: Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. Ephesians 6:10‭-‬11 What we face in life is not the issue. We are in a war and daily must prepare for the battle in that day. We must put on, put on, put on (you got it?) the full armour of God so that we can stand against the tactics of the devil. Satan does not rest in his mandate to maim, kill and destroy. Your mandate is to stand against him and show Christ as you do. The armour of God is: truth, righteousness, readiness for the gospel of peace,...

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14‭-‬16 HCSB On Monday I went on a bush trek above my city. The friend I went with had been a good guide once before so I trusted him again but we became lost. We were not so lost that we could not find our city but could not find our track back to base. What started out as a 2 hour walk turned into a 5 hour walk. As it is winter here if we stopped too long it became chilly. As I read the above passage I am reminded of this walk and what would have happened if it became night and my city decided not to shine it's lights. It would be agonizing flailing around in the dark. Our native animals are none too dangerous here but the cold and la...

In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 HCSB Are you as inquisitive as me? Do you wonder what 'in the same way' refers to? Yes? Let's look! “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. Matthew 5:13‭-‬15 HCSB You are important and have a job to do. You are meant to shine. Let you light shine. If you are feeling broken right now, you are in the best place to shine. Broken vessels can allow the light of Christ to shine through. People need to know Christ when they are broken themselves and if they see Him in you, then they are drawn to t...

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 HCSB This scripture can never be more true than now. We have a man who declared himself a Christian in the White House in America. This man is hounded day and night by the media. What is written and spoken about the president is constantly in the faces of American Christians. This man needs their prayers, not condemnation. He probably also needs letters of support because his hate mail would be voluminous. In Australia when prominent Christians are being vilified I pray. If they are catching the devil's attention, they need prayer. If they are doing right, they need prayer; if they are doing wrong, they need prayer. A praying Christian is a powerful Christian; a critical Christian is a powerless Christian. If you are embarrassed by your brother or sister, you need to die to pride. Embarrassment is carnal...

Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. Mark 8:34‭-‬35 HCSB In this chapter Jesus had fed 4,000 people; debated with the Pharisees; done a road trip with the disciples; began to teach them about His true destiny; healed a blind man; questioned His disciples as to who they thought He was; congratulated Peter for his answer and not long after rebuked Satan in him. A big day. Yet here this verse impacts on us down through the centuries. If we say we are a Christian we must.take up our cross and follow Him. Yesterday I had a conversation with another Christian lady who also loves the Lord. I said I feel like I am away at university and in training for my future. I know this seems odd at 63 but that is exactly how I feel. When I leave this earth I will b...

For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord ’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you” — this is the Lord ’s declaration — “and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you” — this is the Lord ’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.” Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬14 HCSB The above scripture is a popular one. However, do you know what it is all about in the original full chapter in Jeremiah? The above is a part of a letter Jeremiah sent to the people taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. He had told them to build houses, marry and give in marriage as they would be there for 70 years. He also told them not not listen to false prophets who would tell them they would not be staying, as they w...

Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and whatever other commandment — all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8‭-‬10 HCSB Loving my neighbour, or fellow man, means I will not murder, steal or cover what is theirs. It also helps me deal with my attitude when they are messy and throw litter on the ground. Litter is a pet annoyance of mine, in that I pick it up. Then I go and get one such person move in right next door. I live on a duplex(half a house). I love my home and care for it. Unfortunately I have two women in the other half who despise the house, or life or both. Every day on the way to work, one throws her rubbish on the front yard of her house and leaves it there. She would come home and walk right by it. ...

For a man’s ways are before the Lord ’s eyes, and He considers all his paths. Proverbs 5:21 HCSB This scripture comes in the middle of a warning to a son not to pursue a loose woman but to be satisfied with His wife. However, this scripture tells it all. My life and my paths are before the Lord. In big business we are lost in the crowd, in a city we are but a speck. However, before rhe Lord Almighty we are significant. Therefore, if God sees all and cares about my movements, what shall I do today? Obviously nothing that would consume me with lust or desires for things that are not for me. Even as a dedicated Christian we can have ideas about how our lives should turn out. We might think, 'Now if I had a lot of money I would help these people here I would do that there,' and before we know it we have bought a lottery ticket to help God out. I have done this. Yet I discovered that wanting to use Mammon's tool was walking into Mammon's path, not God's. It is...

Righteousness guards people of integrity, but wickedness undermines the sinner. Proverbs 13:6 HCSB Being righteous is a result of abiding in Christ. Focussing on being righteous can lead to law, but if it is a hearts desire to be right before our lover and friend, then we can yield to Him. HE Makes us righteous. His righteousness is perfect and lacks pride. Jesus made us right with the Father. As we dwell im what He has done then we remain clean, we remain pure in motive. Self-righteousness is proud and puffed up. It is destructive. Wickedness is the pursuit of self-righteousness and a shunning of the gift of eternal life offered by Christ. Wickedness pursues its own desires and lives for self. The wicked are a God unto themselves. Uncleanness is attracted to them. Abiding in Christ protects us. It is the safest place. Amen!

The Lord said: Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service — yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship consists of man-made rules learned by rote — therefore I will again confound these people with wonder after wonder. The wisdom of their wise men will vanish, and the understanding of the perceptive will be hidden. Isaiah 29:13‭-‬14 HCSB This passage is part of a great chapter. In it Isaiah prophesied against Ariel: Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David camped! Continue year after year; let the festivals recur. I will oppress Ariel, and there will be mourning and crying, and she will be to Me like an Ariel. I will camp in a circle around you; I will besiege you with earth ramps, and I will set up my siege towers against you. You will be brought down; you will speak from the ground, and your words will come from low in the dust. Your voice will be like that of a spirit from the ground; your speech will whisper from the dust. Your m...

“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest? ” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” Matthew 22:36‭-‬37‭, ‬39‭-‬40 HCSB The Pharisees were attempting to test Jesus. In their puffed up pride they probably thought they would take the fight to where they believed themselves strong-.the law. Little did they realise they were talking to the creator of the law. We easily become proud when we seemed to have gotten a lesson well learned but God comes and tests the hearts. The first and most important law was to love God, but the second was to love our neighbour as ourselves. This could be extended to mercy. I constantly crave mercy, then I should give mercy. We can learn how to trust God for our own finances and then expect others to do the same. We have to be careful that we do not lay down ...

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 HCSB Just before the above verse, the disciples were asking the Lord: So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time? ” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. Acts 1:6‭-‬7 The disciples had their own track, before the crucifixion and again after. It is as if they are saying: "Ok Lord we get that you wanted to save us from our sins, thanks, but how about the power to rule over our enemies?" In the Old Testament God says: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord ’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8‭-‬9 Do we get it? O...

But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:3‭-‬4 HCSB The whole of the first part of this chapter, verses 1-4 deal with giving and practicing our righteousness in front of people. Unfortunately I am guilty of this. Being a talker and divulging all my news to my buddies I mention what I do with My neighbours. Perhaps it is time to grow up and learn to find other things to talk about. I am motivated by God to lend aid and get involved with my neighbour's but this scripture tells me to do it and not talk about it. It is very hard for our left hand to not know what our eight hand is doing. This implies absolute secrecy. Let's see what God will do with a willing heart. In verse 2 Jesus said, "Whenever you give to the poor, don't sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogue.' The trumpet was th...

If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2 HCSB The Joy of working in the Spirit and seeing souls delivered and set free, hearing God's word come from our mouths is joy indeed but to see someone touched by the love of Christ through us- now, that is something else! Loving others, being gracious, kind and merciful is where it is at. Amen! As I pray for others, especially the difficult ones I see miracles that I do not see coming: miracles of relationship with God. God is melting hardened hearts. He is setting captives free, through love. There have been those who I was ready to give up on, but didn't. These are melting and turning to Christ's love. Love is God. I am reminded by a song from from back in the 80's. It is scripture. 'Little children let us not love in word or in tounge but in deed and in Truth.'1 Jo...

For those who live according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:5‭-‬7‭, ‬11 HCSB Living in a body, functioning in a fleshly world constantly wars with our spirit. However, if our spirit is committed to walking in the Spirit, then the flesh does not get a look in. As the scripture above tells us, if I live according to the dictates of the flesh, I am walking in death. However:because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death, live in the S...