The day with dianne Louise

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Galatians 5:16 NLT We start to have problems the moment we decide on doing things our way. This habit starts very early in our lives. Being told, "No!" Usually results in tantrums. Some of us still respond the same. Learning to submit is a good idea.  Learning to know the Holy Spirits presence and mind is also a very good idea. Learning to combine all this into one package results in peace and fulfillment. Thus the journey! Learning to submit to a force greater than ourselves who has everything in hand, is good for us. Amen!

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  Galatians 5:16 NLT We are told what our sinful nature wants: When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19‭-‬21. However, the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:19‭-‬23  One is full of all manner of evil,  the other is full of goodness,  as that is what the Holy Spirit is, good. It is all a matter of control! Amen!

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 NLT Men are often accused of not listening, and many jokes are made about their ability to hear. When it comes to hearing from God, men don't necessarily corner the market in their inability or ability to hear from God. Women also find it challenging. So then, how can we hear from God? This scripture tells us it is hearing the good news about Christ.   If we have  have a habit of reading the scripture with our internal ears on, it can speak to our hearts. It is this hearing that is important. We can hear life during a preached message the key,again, is to have our internal ears open. In other words,we ensure our hearing is intentionally on. A hungry heart will always hears the good news. This heart will always be set free by new revelation. Amen!

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 NLT I am so glad that there is an avenue of faith. Every time I find myself at a loss I determine to hear what I need for faith to ignite within me. The flint needs to be struck for the spark to produced to cause a flame in faith. I remember being in the backwoods of Nepal on a visit, and experiencing a sense that huge faith was present. I preached on faith and miracles. A woman who was bent in half from spinal curvature came forward for healing. I laid hands on her and rebuked an evil spirit. I continued to pray, and the Spirit of God poured out on us. That woman came upright, walking towards me. I returned to the village a few years later and there was no faith, and the woman refused to come to the meeting as she was again crippled. Thr evil spirit had returned. No one had ministered to her the truth about retaining her healing. Jesus at times would say, "Go and sin no more or worse will befal...

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 NLT Women who support abortion cry out: "my body, my choice!" However, the right to murder another human being is not ours. Yet, as a child of God I have the right to be called a daughter of God. God rejects no one, He welcomes all. It is us who are rejectionists. We like to play god  and our rules are cruel and variable.  If I want it, it is right. I may change my mind tomorrow, but today, this is it! How fickle! How foolish and very selfish! We play the devil's advocate when we choose to be selfish. He robs, kills, and destroys.  Jesus came to give life. I choose to give life, and not take it away. Amen!

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 NLT Foster care is an important part of our society. Children caught in the system can love it or hate it, depending on the family they came from and the foster family they are placed into.  Jesus gives a choice to become part of His family or the stay in the world, caught in the family of darkness. Crazily we can choose what we know instead of what we don't. I remember when God was wooing me girls from the nurses home would invite me to youth group and I would refuse. I have no explanation for refusing, but I did, regularly. It was not until I met Jesus that I went with them. Paul the apostle even stood holding garments of those who stoned Stephen, until the fateful day when he met Jesus. Then he was a changed man who went to the cities and towns in the Mediterranean vicinity and Asia to share the message about Jesus. When we meet Jesus we change. When we meet Him we join His famil...

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 NLT Facing life's traumas alone can be soul destroying, but having Jesus beside me makes the cross bearable. Jesus did not promise a bed of roses. He said, " take up your cross and follow me". We can try to avoid our cross but in Jesus' own words: " he who falls upon the rock will be broken, but he who the rock falls upon will be crushed". I think broken sounds better than crushed any day. Choose Jesus as your companion and guide, all will work out. Amen!

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 NLT The whole chapter encourages the once oppressed. God challenges those who worship idols. He challenges them to a duel, mocking them. Our God is.mighty to save. We can gain our strength from Him. He is our answer, our reward. No more being puffed up with self- inflated egos, now strong in the Lord.  The more we put our trust in the Lord the stronger we become. He alone is mighty to save! Amen!

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT Living in our earthly body can be trying at times. Our bodies can be injured from birth, after birth and up to our older years. Pain can be intense, our lives can be snatched away, it seems, yet, God has a plan and purpose for us, no matter what we look like, feel like or imagine we should be like. Today I felt young and alive. It is amazing that when we feel alive we act alive, and people around us respond accordingly.  Seeing ourselves as God sees us is imperative.  His eyes behold us as we are in Christ,  made whole and new. How we feel can be honed into His view or our enemy's view. It is our choice who we listen to. Listen to life. Amen!

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT We can focus on crucifying our flesh or on the joy of having Christ live within. Two totally different points of view and two totally different outcomes. My sinful flesh is not pretty, but Jesus is glorious. The women I play games with (board games), are all psychogists. I am a lone piece of flotsam in their midst. They can analyse why people do what they say, and endeavour to help said people with compassionate understanding. I would rather try Jesus and a new heart. Yes is appears I am less compassionate, yet it is the eternal soul I want. No amount of understanding of the machinations of sin will give eternal life, Jesus will. Last night I had my own test of compassion with my neice. Praise God He won. We sat, and talked, and grew in our understanding of each other, but J...

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT Today I went from providing a neice a place to sleep whist her Nana was away, to being responsible for her behaviour. A big jump! Suddenly I have been thrust into discerning if my neice is being deceptive in her requests.  As they involved young P plate driver friends of hers, who I have never met, and traversing the hill above where we live, in the dark. I may be unpopular, but I contacted her Nana and revealed what was in motion. Shock horror! I was right in my concerns. Now I must face my neice with going behind her back to her Nana. Oh joy! Father I ask for wisdom and grace to deal with this as You would have me. Amen!

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 NLT Do you realise that worry can sit on your head and squeeze it, giving you a headache, fill your chest and squeeze your heart and cause your severe chest pain? By casting all our cares on the Lord we release ourselves from all this distress. Thr bible tells us: in the end times men's heart will fail them due to fear when they look upon the things which will come upon the earth (Luke 21:26-28). Do we need this? We have been given an alternative, the scripture above.  In relation to the scripture in Luke, Jesus is talking about the final days, and needing to be ready. Today it is good to reflect, and examine where we stand. Are we ready to face our maker? Are we ready to face what comes? Is our heart secure with the Lord? Testing will tell us.  Be ready! Amen!

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generations. Ps 100:5 Unfailing love is sought after, promised,  but rarely found in the earth.  However, my God has been faithful to me all my life, a full 68 years. Dogs are a close, sort of close, second. After dogs come little children and then old folk, lastly the rest of fickle mankind. Because we are imperfect, we can never be as faithful as the Lord. With Him in control we can make an effort to be kind, and be faithful to our spouse, and our children. Modern sayings impute faithlessness with sayings such as: if they can't see your worth, move on etc. What happened to the marriage vows: in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, forsaking all others, till death us do part?  For myself, I am grateful to the Lord for He alone is good. Amen!

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalms 100:5 NLT The same stars and planets that the palmist looked at each night are the same that I saw this morning. We have a planetary alignment happening with Mercury, Venus, Earth, the moon, Mars, Jupiter amd Saturn. It is quite impressive. Yet many will not see them. This is the first time since 2004 (it depends who you read, some news reports are way off).Yet, our God's unfailing love endures forever.  There are wars and rumours of wars, men struggling for power all over the place, women usurping authority in the quest for power, Governments seeking authority to install wicked laws,  and God's people rising up in the power of the gospel. Jesus is the only liberator.  Casting off historical laws can make us feel victorious and free, but it also makes us vulnerable.  Freedom from sin is true freedom. This freedom is only found in Christ.  He came...

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:8 NLT Jesus told a parable about a man who had late night visitors and who had not bread. He went to his neighbour for help. The neighbour called out, "go away we are all in bed!" The man did not accept his refusal but kept knocking.  Jesus also taught another parable about a widow who had her land taken from her by her family. She went to the judge for assistance. He refused. It was in the too hard basket. She kept persisting! He finally gave in and said, " I will give you what you ask, not because I fear God or man but because you are driving me nuts" (my paraphrase). I think the message is persistence wins. Keep knocking! Amen!

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:8 NLT Everyone means everyone! God does not grade out sins. Sin is sin. We cannot imagine we have been too bad for God. Paul writes in Romans: for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).Verse 24 says: Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins (NLT).  If a murderer can be used by God to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, that an adulterer and murderer can be used by God to rule His people, God has a plan for us as well. Nothing is too bad for the change repentance brings. All we need to do is ask. Amen!

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 NLT Knowledge of God results in good judgement. When we know our God and His ways we have wisdom, when we allow His ways to rule we have peace. I just saw a post from a woman who has cancer. She was asking for prayer as she had a young family, and wants to live, and mother them through to maturity. I don't think she knows Jesus as her saviour. Therefore, my first prayer is that she would know Him and the power of His might(Phil 3:10). My second would be that she sees Him as her healer and friend. May you know the Lord today! Amen!

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 NLT When we fear a train coming, we respect its size and ability to do us harm. When we fear the Lord we respect His power, purity, holiness. Fear of the Lord we need more of. I need it more! Every time we have successes our flesh becomes arrogant and rises up. Again and again we must humble ourselves or we are destined for a fall. The battle to die to the flesh is a daily affair. Knowing our hearts is important, being able to recognise the arrogance is important. Being able to put the fleshly appetites to death is imperative.  Amen!

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 NLT Our thinking can so affect our heart. Disappointments with others can make us want to move on. Sometimes this is right, other times not. Therefore, it is good to have God's perspective on things. My disappointments come when I go out on a limb for people,  and they turn on me or use me unkindly. This is when I want to move on. I am there right now, so I am also praying for guidance. The Lord has to deal with this from us forever, yet He copes. I am constantly amazed at His grace,  it seems so effortless. Yet, we know it is coated with the blood of Jesus. In the Old Testament God was more like me (a little), except I have never been perfect like Him. Now, I am washed in the blood of Jesus. His perfection is mine. Praise Him! So, others are washed in the same blood. Give me eyes to see Lord! Amen!

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 NLT People hurting and offending us, people using us all creates a desire for revenge. However, by going to thoughts about revenge we pollute our hearts with darkness, then our mouth speaks judgement on these folk. Forgiveness is a daily affair. Keep a clean heart,  for our hearts need to be ready for every good work that God has planned for us. Good work is more satisfying than darkness. Amen!

Everywhere—from east to west— praise the name of the Lord. Psalms 113:3 NLT David knew to praise the Lord, even in his darkest days. He knew the benefit of praise, it releases the Lord to go forth into our world with signs and miracles. David saw this, in his darkest day after returning from the  battlefield to find all the women and children taken. Even though he was tired and threatened with abuse from his men, he pursued the enemy, and found the women and children, and brought them home safely. His praise released him into his future as king. In a moment he went from a vagabond to a king. God can do that.  Amen! Praise Him!!

Everywhere—from east to west— praise the name of the Lord. Psalms 113:3 NLT I believe there was a scripture in song chorus saying similar: From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised. Praise ye the Lord, Praise ye all servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. (Ending may be wrong, memory will not correct it). Suffice to say, there was a song, and it would be good to continue to have songs to praise the Lord. I love sunrises and sunsets. They remind me of the goodness of God. Amen!

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. Psalms 103:13 NLT This scripture was written hundreds of years before Jesus came. Under the Old Testament to please the Lord people had to keep the law, and be faithful to the Lord. In the New Testament Jesus fulfilled the law, and paid all our penalties for failure to keep the law. However, characters such as King David show how God loved one who loved Him first, even though he made mistakes,.and broke other laws. Jesus presented the Father as a loving Father. His parable about the Prodigal Son tells of His love and willingness to forgive. The key is repentance, and recognition of God being good, forgiving, but holy. Our God is a good Father, and worthy of trust.  Amen!

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. Psalms 103:13 NLT There are times when I see my fleshly behaviour on full display. At these times I go to the Lord and ask forgiveness, and He gives it, again and again. This gift makes me aware of the depth of His loving grace, fatherly love, and willingness to stay with me, though my behaviour is undeserving. We see earthly fathers shine when they stay with disabled sons and daughters and wives. This is where they shine the best, and reflect God's glory the most. I remember seeing a video of a father who took up ironman competition later in life all because his disabled son longed to partake. He was a hero of all the disabled and all women respected him. Our heavenly Father knows full well He has a house full of disabled sons and daughters,  but He stays with us, and works with us! Now, that is love!

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. Psalms 103:2 NLT Today I am reminded how blessed I am. Early this morning I watched a nephew play soccer in this free land called Australia. This afternoon I joined with family celebrating the 1st birthday of my youngest neice. At the party I met her grandmother and great grad- parents. How blessed is she. How blessed am I. This evening I conducted a murder mystery/comedy at church for a seniors group. All the actors were senior.  We had fun! Now we are sitting down to a repast of soup and buns to be followed by dessert. How blessed are we! It is good to remember how blessed we are and to always give thanks. Amen!

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. Psalms 103:2 NLT Forgetting the good things one does for us is easy if the memory is replaced by offense. We don't have to be offended at the Lord initially, just one or some of His people. Failure to forgive, and heal relationships then start the slide away from God's goodness. Suddenly we believe He is the cause and therefore to blame. This process is called deception.  Forgiving and keeping short accounts is important,  so is praising the Lord and keeping Him firmly as God, and not replacing Him with self or some other. We are made for fellowship. Let us not isolate ourselves through offence. Amen!

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” Isaiah 12:2 NLT Jesus is my saviour. He saved me from the penalty of sin, from eternal separation, from the curse of sin and disease. He came to save me and I am grateful.  This afternoon I went to see the latest Top Gun movie. We saw how Maverick saved Rooster then Rooster saved Maverick then both were rescued by another guy. It is good to be rescued. However,  the best rescue any of us can have is the rescue from eternal damnation. For this I will be eternally grateful. 

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” Isaiah 12:2 NLT God has indeed come to save me. Of late the money is pouring in and I have two job interviews. My brother who was angry with me has told me he loves me, and more is to come. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. What we speak over ourselves comes to pass, conversely strongholds are broken as we speak life into a situation. 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Galatians 5:24 NLT We can be a member of a club, a community,  a family, a church but not belong. We belong when we take ownership of that entity, we live for it, we protect it, fight for it. We can say we belong  to Christ, but act as if we don't.  We can hide our faith, hide from ourselves the truth that we must adhere to. We can hide it from our friends and family, our work colleagues,  but the truth is always out there before the Lord. Do you belong to Christ? I just received an email about a Christian family in Pakistan who were beaten badly by Muslim neighbours for donating some of their land to build a church.  They are sacrificing for their faith.  Are we willing?

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Galatians 5:24 NLT Having a passionate desire is not necessarily sinful, unless it is centered in self. However, if it is God inspired, it is blessed and will bear fruit. The challenge is learning which is which. Some passionate desires are to serve the Lord, but in the wrong place or wrong time, then it is a timing question.  The learning of all these various elements of passion and desire takes patience and time. Patience and waiting on the Lord are the hard parts. Whilst we wait God deals with our impatience and fleshly reactions. If you still want to kick down the door, you probably are not ready and need to wait some more. This is what nailing out passions and desires are about. Oh joy!

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13 NLT Many years ago I decided I want to cultivate wisdom in my life. I read one chapter of proverbs every day for over a year.  Proverbs was written by the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon. However, Solomon failed to love God like His dad did, and he was taken out by foreign women and their gods.  True wisdom is acknowledging that God's word is truth, God's principles are the way, and God's spirit is life. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5,6

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13 NLT James, masterfully, addresses thr hidden truth of the heart.  At the beginning of chapter 3 he states: 'not many of you should become teachers'. He then goes on to talk about self-control, in relationship to speech. Finally he says the above verse, going on to speak about the motives of the heart.  If our wisdom is in fact rooted in bitter envy and selfish ambition then we are in danger of every kind of evil. However, if our wisdom is from above it is peaceloving,  gentle, compliant, and full of mercy and truth  then the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace. James is confronting us with truth. We must examine ourselves. What are our motives? Why do we want to be teachers?  I notice on Facebook there is a stance that some Christians take that is judgemental regarding the supposed practices in some of God's p...

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT Today I had to stretch in faith to forgive an ungrateful,  selfish woman. We used to have a saying, 'she is an Indian giver' (gives them takes back). As I struggled with my desire for revenge, and trusted the Lord, I received an email from an employer I had applied to for work. I have an interview. Yes! I want an abundance from my God who always gives good gifts. I want to step into the new. His resources are better than human resources. Amen!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT 1 & 2 Chronociles was probably written by Ezra, who is considered the chronicler. The book of Ezra follows after Chronicles. It is believed he also wrote Nehemiah. Ezra was strong on prayer and history. The above comes from a passage that is filled with prayer. This prayer is ascribed to King David, who was also a man of prayer. Do you journal? Think of the heritage you can leave for your family. I journaled for many years, but started blogging in 2012. This blog is now my journal. All previous journals were thrown away as they were filled with a focus I didn't find good, on re-reading them. The important thing is 'what is God doing?' What I do is only relevant when it reflects what God is doing, for He is good. The above reading exhorts us to give thanks to the Lord for He is good. David knew this, even in all the years of being chased by King Saul. He knew how to praise ...

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:5 NLT What attitude was that?  Though Jesus was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:6‭-‬8 NLT Jesus was willing to give up what was rightfully His to save us. We the ungrateful,  mocking, selfish humans were given a way to enter eternity with a God who loved us.  Scripture also says: though you might give up your life for someone righteous, you would not do it for the sinner (Romans 5:8). However, Jesus did.  So, the mind we are encouraged to apprehend is a giving mind, willing to lay down our rights. There's the challenge, that bring a reward. What say you?

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2:5‭-‬8 MSG Entitlement is a mindset, however, it is opposed to the Christ's mindset, which was humble. How did we get here? Our world, in the West, has an entitlement mindset. It does not help that we are spoiled as children or taught as teenagers to fight for our rights. Most of our entertainment feeds this disposition.  What is the solution? Living the Christian life with a Christlike mindset. This is obtained by t...

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 NLT Do you recognise when people show genuine affection? Do you also recognise the fake? Yes! It is unpleasant isn't it? Therefore, if we dish it out, it is also recognised as fake, and not appreciated.  What does fake affection make you feel like? Worthless? Perhaps, or perhaps it just makes you decide not to go there again. No need feeling sorry for yourself. Paul exhorts us to show genuine affection.  How do we do that? Die to our self love. Scripture tells us, In the last day people will be lovers of self, and lovers of money rather than lovers of God. 2 Tim 3:2. Paul prophesied this thousands of years ago. He was accurate. Therefore, if the general thrust of our society is selfishness we will need to fight it. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16. He si our example. Amen!

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 NLT Delight in honouring! There is a new concept! Our culture takes delight in tearing down people. Honouring takes effort and a dying to self. In requires the 'me first' attitude to die. The Old Testament law spoke of honouring mother and father so that life will be long. Paul talked about slaves honouring their masters, and now here in Romans he talks of honouring each other. He also talks of honouring our leaders elsewhere. Therefore, honour is a biblical entreaty. Jesus spoke of God honouring us in John 12 :26. If anyone serves Me the Father will honour him. Today is Sunday, let us honour our God by meeting with fellow believers to sing to Him, and listen to His word. This is how we can set apart ourselves to honour, and in the process let us look for others to honour. Why not make a determined effort? Amen!

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up, the flames will not consume you. Is 43:2 We must understand God's perspective. We, selfishly, want to not suffer, yet, suffering proves our metal, it refines us. Last week all hell broke loose. I had two final exams, and every effort was made to derail me. I stayed the course and finished the exams. I received one result today, a 74%. Considering the week and the degree of difficulty the exam presented, that was ok by me. Today I put on my Christian radio and had a wonderful time, just being ordinarily fabulous. Yes, I agree that is hard to imagine. What I meant was, I did ordinary things, but did them with joy. Joy makes the difference. Amen!

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 NLT Our God promises to be with us in trials and difficulties. He does not promise to remove them, but rather be God in our midst. Here in Australia prices are rocketing for food, fuel, housing. Our enemy is crushing us, but God is in the midst. God is bringing provision. He is the best provider. I have endeavoured to find a companion female to share the rent, I have also applied for many jobs but even as I wait, God is moving for me. He hears my prayers and rescues me again and again. He is good! Trust Him, not the noise. Amen!

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT I used to determine to re-dye my cord black jeans every year to gain maximum wear out of them. I also refused to not wear white jeans just because I had children. You can imagine the amount of bleach I used. However, it worked. God does not recycle us. He makes us brand new on the inside. He said, I will give you a new heart. When we invite Him into our lives He does just that. We do not have to strive to be different from the way we were, we need to live in the new, by faith. Quit striving with you flesh, and live in the new. It is finished, Amen!

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT Wow! A masterpiece! That is some praise!  If you go to any art gallery or museum you see masterpieces. I remember a trip to Rome, and seeing the Sistein Chapel and the Vatican. Michelangelo's work was on glorious display. I loved his statues at the Vatican, they were massive and glorious. Folds of marble fell like folds of cloth.To be liked to such masterpieces as one myself, well that is praise indeed. Yet, God has placed in each of us a unique portion of Himself, a divine display of His glory. All we have to do is shine. Amen!

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NLT When Paul write this the only scripture would have been Old Testament scriptures.  We are blessed that Paul's writings, along with many others, were recognised as scriptures some time later, around 382 ad, so blessed! It would, therefore, have been hard not to slip back into legalism, as the Old Testament is predominately about the law.  I am so grateful! Grace finally arrived. Amen!

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NLT I love scripture! It definitely has God's breath on it. As I make myself open to hear, it speaks to me. As it speaks it bring truth, deliverance, truth, healing and new focus. I understand why those who live is worlds that refuse them the bible long for it. It is spirit-food. Hebrews 4:12 says: 'God's word is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing through bone and marrow, spirit and flesh. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires'. If we do not want our hearts exposed, we avoid reading our bible. However, this is tantamount to not taking life-saving medicine. It is foolishness. Stay in the word! Amen!

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 Peter 5:6 NLT It is not our job to humble people, yes we can humble ourselves, but not others. Whether we are elevated or not, is not our concern. We should humble ourselves, just because God is God and we are not. This morning when I was writing the post for the morning, I sensed just by writing it God was dealing with my heart.  I was grateful,  His dealings always come with a cleansing flow, not condemnation. I can trust Him for elevation. It comes through cleansing. I instantaneously felt as if I had a moment in a beautiful peaceful place. God's places are best! Amen!

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 Peter 5:6 NLT Scripture also tells us to fall upon the rock and be broken (humility) or the rock will fall upon us and we will be crushed (humiliated). We can so easily be caught up in the pretence of humility, look I am so good, I did X.  I think the Pharisees were accused of this by Jesus! We need to be careful as He also called them 'white-washed tombs'. Looking pretty on the outside but full of rottenness inside. True humility results in honour. God's honour is best! It is pure, it is clean and lasts. Whereas the honour of men is fleeting, as jealously is not far behind it. True humility uncovers self-righteousness. Let the cleaning begin!

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 NLT A stony, stubborn heart is recalcitrant and unweilding. Stubborn people can be difficult to work with. Usually it is their way or the highway. This makes bipartisanship untenable. When I come across such a person I initially endeavour to work with them to a common goal. However, often their way is suited to their fleshly emotions, not an outcome that blesses all. Scripture tells us to submit to one another. This is the ideal, and provides a platform that blesses more than the initiators. This is always the goal. We are sent into the world to win souls and make disciples. We should start with us. Amen!

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 NLT This scripture is part of  prophesy given by Ezekiel to Israel whilst in captivity in Babylon. Part of it refers to the people of Israel being brought back to their homeland. This particular scripture refers to the regenerative work the Holy Spirit performs in a heart that is born again. Whilst this prophesy was given in 593BC, it resonates with all believers, it is full of the working of the Holy Spirit. Prophesy is hope building, especially when navigating dry, barren places, facing,  seemingly, insurmountable, obstacles and fears. Yet, if God said it, it will be done, as long as I do not get in the way, but rather trust. Amen!

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts of the Apostles 2:38 NLT Although we do not.like to be told to repent, there is no access to God's saving grace without it. If Jesus recognised the need for us to be saved from our sins, the least we can do is consider the truth of the matter. Self-righteousness  revolves around us being a god with the power to determine what we consider is sin and goodness. If we insist on self-righteousness, we smack Jesus in the heart with our claims we are good enough for a pure and holy God. We crucify Him again and again by this behaviour. Conversely, we need to repent of our arrogance, and seek His way of being good. Amen! 

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts of the Apostles 2:38 NLT What does it mean to repent? It means turn away from, completely, and never go back. Repentance in the context above comes after revelation of sin, not after condemnation by others or our enemy the devil, but God's Holy Spirit alone. Repentance bring change, and a new Lord in areas of our lives. We yield our independence and self will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and accept Him as our saviour over all areas.  This is not a yielding to a wicked, ruthless lord, but rather, a yielding to one who is gentle and humble,  and One who empowers us by His Holy Spirit to live for Him. Today I saw the Queen of England go out on to her balcony for the last day of her jubilee celebration. All will agree that the Queen of England has been a gracious and dutiful s...

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT Today is  Pentecost Sunday. Today we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit by first hearing the promise from Jesus. Jesus kept His word, and on Pentecost Sunday the Holy Spirit came in power. He turned the world's of His disciples upside down. What joy! Today at church we had a guest preacher who moved in the power of the Holy Spirit. Souls were saved, many were baptised in the Holy Spirit, and prayed in tongues and many were healed. What a good way to celebrate! Jesus told us to go in His boldness, and power and bring the lost to Him, seeing them baptised in water and the Spirit. It is time to begin again!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT Today is our day! Today we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Remember, the apostles were a timid, bumbling, factional, fighting, ragtag bunch, whom Jesus loved, and poured our His Holy Spirit upon. When this happened they became dynamos for His glory. Last night I met  man who had studied theology to be a minister, but went to join a catholic group and now is in a funny sect who practice meditation by repeating just one word. I told him I was a born again pentecostal who prayed in the Spirit. He tried to tell me we were doing the same thing, I disagreed.  When I pray in the Holy Spirkt I connect with my God. I am so grateful to the Holy Spirit, He takes this bumbling, silly woman and uses me mightily. If I have changed for.the bett...

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 NLT Neighbour's need love, especially if they are cranky old pusses.  I just had a previous neighbour over to visit. Her new neighbour is an objectionable old biddy. Mind you my friend is not young herself. My friend has a dog who the neighbour does not like. My friend has managed to offend her friendly neighbours as well, by refusing an invitation to a morning tea. So, even people we think are friendly can suddenly be not so friendly. I think my friend thought I had also dropped her when  I asked for space to study for my finals. We can be so precious! So, where does this scripture help us? It takes grace to love as other need loving, especially when  our lot has been not so good as well. This is when we can draw near to God. Scriptrue tells us that as we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. Now that is definitely good. Amen!

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 NLT Yes it is easier to say than do. Jesus taught:The second is equally important commandment is ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:31 NLT obviously the Ford commandment has to do with not putting any other god  before the Lord. How do I love my neighbour as myself? Give them the grace I expect, the forgiveness, and the lack of judgement. This would be a good start. If, when we are hurt or suffering, we wish someone would come to our aid, then we should do this for others. If we want others to defend us, them we should defend them. So, basically, as Jesus taught, sow the harvest we want. Amen!

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6 NLT This morning I had to sit a 3 hour exam. Beforehand my mind was rebelling, it did not want to clear,  and think.  So, I decided to sing in the spirit for about 30 mins, whilst doing that I did a puzzle. It was amazing how the pieces came together. Then I started the exam.  It was very hard and tight, time wise.  I finish with 4 minutes to spare. I would have love another hour to do well constructed essays. I had to do 10, they were only worth 6 points each, so not so drastic.  I answered all the questions but went from memory for 1. We wills see how I go. However, I am so grateful for the ability to pray and sing in the spirit.  It sure helps. Amen!

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6 NLT Our sinful nature lusts after power, control, indulgence of the flesh, and all things carnal. The Holy Spirit wants to glorify our saviour, the works He wants us to perform and all things godly. Lately the Holy Spirit is breaking hardness and indifference off my life. I am seeing with new eyes the poor and how He wants us to live. Last night I went to a birthday party for a neice of mine, she is seven. She behaved badly because she wanted her way, to open the presents her Nana had given her, and was told to wait till after dinner. She had been lavished with presents and failed to appreciate the effort made. I remembered orphans in Nepal who I had given gifts to, for the first time. They had one little gift,  and they cherished the gift, but also was willing to share it with the others. Yet, the son of the couple who ran the orphanage was a...

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.Luke 6:36 NLT John 3:16 tells us how the Father is compassionate: For God so loves the world that He sent His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. When my son was little I could not envision sending him to die for the whole world. The love I have for my son is therefore selfish, I want him to live  as my son. However, the Father knew that only One who is perfect could come, and be that sacrifice.  Jesus lived a perfect life, and remained so the whole time He was on earth. He qualified. It did not mean He liked the prospect,  as a man dying for our sins, especially as it involved such suffering. However, He said, " Not my will, but Your will be done oh Lord!" How can we choose to suffer so that we can be self-sufficient and self- righteous? We may think we win but when we face our judge we lose. The suffering we face is eternal,  in a lake of fire that does not go ...

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:36 NLT What is compassion? We could look in the dictionary or look to Jesus. The bible tells us 'He looked on them with compassion, because they were sheep without a shepherd'(Matt 9:36). He had a deep love, understanding and heart for the lowly and mistreated. He healed lepers, blind, lame, deaf, He raised a widow's son back to life. He went to Samaria to speak to a woman who had been married 5 times and now living with a man not her husband. He did not go to the pretty people, they came to Him. He forgave tax collectors, prostitutes, a woman caught in adultery and more, but He gave stick to the Pharisees who ruled over them all. He called them white washed tombs, full of dead men's bones. Who do we seek to spend time with? The whole, the families, the rich, those we perceive can help us with our goals? There is an organisation called Compassion,  many give to help children is poor countries. Howev...

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT Moses was reputed to be the most humble man that lived. What made him humble? He spent an awful lot of time with the Lord, and he determined to obey, failing once when he was angry with the people. For this he was excluded from the Promised land.  A hefty price! Yet Moses was willing to confront sin. This he did righteously (godly motives). So, humility is not an unwillingness to confront, but rather a determination to do it in the Lord. Confrontation in the flesh gets us nowhere. Today my youngest brother was dragging bottom. He was depressed and saw no reason to continue. Fortunately we, his family, gathered around him and gave him reason to continue. My brother does not walk with the Lord. I was able to tell him I pray for him daily and that he is loved.  I told him that the photos I take of his grandchild...

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT How do you handle selfishness in others, when you yourself am suffering? How do you take financial usery  in Christian leaders? The natural response is offense. We must dig deep to find what God wants us to learn, instead. Last night I had both of these, but knew I am also selfish and also cold towards the needs of others. This took me to prayer and a cry for mercy for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on our hardened hearts. If we are not soft and loving, desiring justice and mercy in our own hearts, then we are hard-hearted. Jesus was not hard-hearted hearted. He was gracious, forgiving and patient with His own, even though they were still squabbling over who was the greatest among them the very night He was to be betrayed. Judas lived with these men. Perhaps he despised them, perhaps he was offended at them and ...