The day with dianne Louise

He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Jesus told us in the gospels that our Heavenly Father is interested in providing for our needs. Lusts on the other hand do not come into the equation. It is surprising how readily we are tempted with lusts for the latest …. We become consumed with thinking about that item and before long it replaces own pure devotion to the Lord. Jesus was our example: “foxes have holes and birds have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt 8:20). While He was not advocating homelessness, He was showing the joy and ease He had with not being tied to possessions. Today I gave away more of my possessions, I also listed the more valuable items for sale on marketplace. My friend is concerned that I am discarding my valuables but I am not. I have a sense that the Lord will repay me 100 fold (wirh persecution- not sure about that part ). W...

He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ This morning I awoke to an account sent from Nepal of all monies paid and that now due. Why did I look as it tore me away from my time with the Lord and caused me anxiety. What does money matter, other than a means to live? Since being back in Australia I am seeing everyone I know who stays here collect more stuff. The houses are overflowing with things bought in a moment and now collecting dust. Meanwhile I am selling more things because I no longer want to store stuff I do not need. Moving country has this effect, you need to rationalise all your belongings. I have promised myself to deal with a box a day until it is all gone. What does not sell goes to charity.  However, in Nepal I am buying furniture to fit out a flat.  Nepal does not have storage, not many garages for excess stuff. This tends to keep things to a minimum. T...

“Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming.” Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭33‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ We can live life as if we are invincible and nothing can touch us, until… none of us has a crystal ball or a guarantee that all will be well. In the blink of an eye things can change. They did for Job. However, Job had the Lord barracking for him and defending him to his enemy Satan, however, permission was given to Satan to destroy his world. Job was a righteous man and did not sin in all he did. Not many could lay claim to this descriptor. Conversely, Paul states in Romans 3:10: none is righteous no not one. And he goes on to say in 3:24: for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all need the salvation Jesus offers. Today so had the joy of being woken up by a Bethel song and it stayed with me all day. I’d like to share it: Holy forever https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WKpycF4CfdM&si=TfnoaPMRGrv7EyJk

“Now concerning that day or hour no one knows — neither the angels in heaven nor the Son — except the Father. Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming. It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming — whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert! ” Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭32‬-‭37‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ We become alert when we sense danger, when we see fires coming, dangerous storms arising, violence on the streets, and as many did during the world wars, the arrival of the enemy. Otherwise, we slumber, not seeing the insidious enemy at work in our midst. It is this enemy that is more dangerous. He comes to rob, steal and plunder. He seeks to steal hearts and mi...

““Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Recently I bought a second hand book about an Anglican minister. When I looked at the cover photo and read the dust jacket I wondered if it was what I wanted to read. I’m glad I bought it as it is a very good book about a man raised in a home where both parents fellowshipped at different churches: Baptist and Pentecostal. He became friends with an old Anglican woman and attended her church as well. As a child he was determined to be an anaesthetist and a priest. He became both. God took him to the Middle East and his life work was that of reconcilliation between Muslim, Jew and Christians. What a mix! To top it all off he was suffering with MS. We so easily judge by what we see. God is moving in many places other than pentecostal and I need to embrace that. I have many Anglican friends and I enjoy their...

““Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?” Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Last night I accompanied a friend to a country music concert at my church. It was not my interest, however, she enjoyed it. When you don’t enjoy something you can pick at what you think is wrong with it, praise God I refrained. Many present enjoyed the show, did not talk while he was singing and readily applauded. At the end my pastor took around the man’s hat and I went to give a smaller denomination but God said, “be generous”, so I was. I knew it would be a hard life depending on the generousity of others. If I judged the man I could be very wrong. The Lord had not showed me anything about the man and so judgement would be carnal. I therefore would need to extract the log out of my eye. The log would be called ...

“He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not become discouraged:” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ I find discouragement comes easily, Satan knows us well and pours it out just at our weakest moment. He tells us we will always be …., you can fill in the blanks. If we had a childhood of rejection, and put down we succumb more easily. Discouragement comes to stop us from stepping into our future. Lies like, “You are too old, nobody loves you, your a hopeless case”. We succumb especially if we are not aware. The sneak comes with small whispering lies. We need to recognise them and put them where they belong- in the garbage. We counter them with scripture. Jesus showed us the way. He was discouraged by the lies of the enemy, however He encouraged himself in the Lord and spoke the word of God in response. Take up the armour given to you and fight him off. Speak over your life with scripture, rebuke the devil and he will flee. Amen!

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’ Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We can see that Jesus was advocating persistence. This lady reminds me of children who want something, only justice was more important than a toy. We can persist in prayer for justice. Justice is a part of the Lord’s makeup. He loves justice. May justice flow down like a mighty river and righteousness like an unfailing stream (Amos 5:24). “Mankind, He (God) has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act jus...

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Our idea of groaning is pain or disappointment, however, the Holy Spirit goes into intercessory prayer for us. What a picture! How beautiful! I have done and do intercessory prayer, therefore I know the groaning Paul talks about. In my deepest recesses is an agony of Spirit that must be spoken and cried out. I understand me doing this as a human but the almighty God doing it is another thing. What love He must have toward us! Intercessory prayer bring a result. I remember interceeding for my mum who was having an operation for the removal of a melanoma from her back. I prayed for about an hour and then the burden lifted. My mum returned from surgery knowing that she would be ok. She was. It never returned and she never needed chemotherapy or radium therapy. At other times si...

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬ There are many times that I do not know what to pray or how to pray. I am so grateful for the gift of tongues, for in these times I pray in the Spirit. There are times when my heart condemns me and I know I need to find the Lord, praying in the Spirit sorts things out for me. Thank You Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who draws us and brings us to Christ; He convicts us of sin and our need for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. He draws us to the word of God, fellowship with other believers. Seek the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues, there is power here. The Holy Spirit is a great companion. Amen!

“And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The Holy Spirit is speaking, however, in a still, small voice. Are we listening? Are we interested in listening? Are we seeking Him? I can move very easily into drive mode. I did it today. Last night I was informed that this morning I would need to help stack plastic seats that were used in Astronomy events over this past week. I arrived early to beat the heat and went to work. Unfortunately, when another member arrived I told him to go inside as he was an old man and had an injured back. Sometimes my sense of fun is a bit sharp and can appear rude. Relying on my own strength is a problem I constantly face. I was actually showing off that I was able to work when I know it is God who keeps me strong. I am not able to keep myself well, whilst my attitude towards health is strong so is my faith in my God to sustain me. However, stealing His glory is ...

“And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Samuel was a boy when God came to him and called him. He did not know it was God calling him, he thought it was Eli the priest. Eli tweaked that it was God and told him to answer just as he did above. God then told him the future of Eli and his sons. It was not good and Samuel was frightened to repeat it but Eli insisted. Eli accepted his fate. God once gave me a vision whilst in America. It troubled be until I wrote it down. He then had me write to a pastor in America and send him the vision. I thought this was nuts. I did not hear from that pastor but I was obedient. I am watching that vision unfold. I also had a vision for Australia after returning home. I am watching that vision come to pass.  When I had been in America I had visited Toronto Airport church and Pensacola. Both I loved. Before we left for Australia we visited friends in Hous...

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Worry is our first reaction, we can train ourselves to pray first. When I need to make a change I ask the Holy Spirit to help me. Sometimes I pray, “Holy Spirit please remind me before I react”. He does! The next step, Paul says, is to praise God for all he has done. Praise releases peace. Now, we all want that! Today I offered to do a presentation at my astronomy club next Saturday. They were grateful as people to do speeches are hard to find. Who knows what God will do! Tonight is our last open night during country music here in Tamworth. My role is small, but I am the first face the visitors see. I make sure it is a good meeting. I welcome with a smile and go further making sure that...

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Jesus Himself spoke about not being anxious, He reminded His listeners that God already clothed the birds in the air and the lillies in the field. He also asked, “what person can add a cubit to their life by being anxious?” The answer is: no one! Rather Paul’s recipe sounds good. Peace results when we pray about our needs and leave them with the Lord.

“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” 1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Today at the astronomy centre two women came; an older and younger one. The younger one was obviously suffering from a disease. I prayed and looked for an opportunity to speak but none came. They were both consumed with the illness and not open to friendly conversation. I am still concerned for the girl, I was surprised that nothing came of our meeting. All I have is prayer and I know it is ordanied. I did not sense the Holy Spirit’s prompting and was left wondering why. She was in need but…. I pray she becomes open to hear good news. I pray she returns or meets another Christian at the right time. After they left another woman came with twin girls who were not her own, she was caring for the girls today. We had good conversation and I discovered she is a Christian. She was good value for the girls she cared for. They had dead eyes, they need the Jesus she carries inside. May ...

“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ At times we can wonder if God hears our prayers. John tells us that when we ask for anything that pleases Him He hears us. What pleases Him? Longing to be with Him pleases Him. Today I want to see what He is doing. Yesterday He brought me bus loads of souls to visit. I wonder what He will do today?  May Your kingdom come Your will be done Lord! Amen!

“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ May Your kingdom come! What does that look like? Justice, mercy, grace, love unlimited. This morning I asked the Lord what He was doing today and could I tag along. I went into routine without hearing anything. I went to the astronomy centre where I had agreed to help out for the week. Suddenly just after 10am a woman came in asking if she could bring a group through and what would it cost per person. I told her and she said, “I don’t think some of our people can afford that”. I suddenly asked, “are your people disabled?” She replied, “ yes that are!” I said, “ok bring them all in for free!” They came in. I have always struggled with disable...

“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This prayer was given to the disciples by Jesus, whilst the format was probably what He intended it has been taken by many and repeated ‘as the heathens do’ (words of Jesus). The prayer format is the best as it begins with the Father, gives Him glory and seeks His will and design for earth. ‘Give us today the food we need’ is all that is mentioned about physical needs, there is a focus on forgiveness. According to this prayer forgiveness of self hinges on our forgiveness of others. As request for protection from evil end the prayer unless the longer version is used: ‘for Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory!’  Beginning and endi...

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Who is the Lord of the harvest? Jesus spoke the above words to his disciples. He did not say: pray to me, but pray to the Lord of the harvest. Could He be referring to God the Father? Possibly, probably! Jesus said He did not know when the end would come, only the Father knew. Then, probably this is a role He has chosen, as the key was the harvest was full. This is interesting as we see different roles for different parts of the Godhead. Jesus’ main role was saviour. The Holy Spirit’s main role was to speak about Jesus to us; He convicts of sin, guides, and comforts. Jesus also said the Father was the vine dresser, He prunes and removes dead wood. The harvest, then, is His main focus. How interesting! How wonderful! Amen!

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NLT‬‬ As I visit Australia and see the church caught up in entertainment and earthly pursuits this is my prayer. We need workers in the harvest who are willing to lay down their ideas about God and His kingdom for His. Satan has blinded hearts and minds with selfish pursuits. As we seek God with all our hearts and minds He shares His heart for the world. The lost need to see the love of God in action. What will you do with the mandate God has given you? Will you ignore it, refuse to listen or obey it?

“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” James‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ A farmer does not take his crops off until they are ripe for harvest, otherwise his grain will be useless and he will not be able to sell, it will be useless. The harvest of souls is a harvest the Lord is keenly watching, He waits for the right time. As I write this there are more missionaries from the global south than ever before, whilst USA still send the greatest amount of missionaries. Even in Nepal I have met a lot of western missionaries. May we be successful in planting all the seed the Lord has for us to plants. Amen!

“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” James‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The early church believed the Lord was returning in their lifetime; as time progressed and He did not return many fell away. Many now believe that the Lord is returning soon. I remember when I became a Christian in the 70’s we read David Wilkinson’s books and believed Jesus would return soon. We are still here watching prophesy being fulfilled. As we wait for the return of the Lord we have a mandate: go into all the world and preach the gospel and be patient . I have been reading books about missionaries, because that is what I am. They stir up my spirit to serve the Lord in the mandate He has given me.  When I was swimming on Monday He dropped into my spirit a picture of...

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We really must learn to let go and let God rule. We cannot box God into, “well I’ve done my bit it is Your turn!” Such arrogance begs a slap. The love of God wants to invade our lives. His agenda is not ours. Walking with Him on His agenda is the best, absolute best thing we can do. If He wants us planting seeds then plant them, if He wants us watering seed then water them and get back and let Him do what He does best- be GOD! Find His love and stay there! Amen!

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Praise God we do not need to worry about the growth of the truth planted; God watches over His word to fulfill it. If we are faithful in our part, He is faithful in His. He is more in love with those in whom the seeds are planted than we are, and He is faithful to His word. I need to be concerned with my part, am I planting the seed; am I watering the seed? How do I know which part I play? It does not matter. Both are sharing the good news about Christ. Both require me to see others as He sees them, not as a selfish person looking out only for myself. Lord May my eyes be ever open and mouth ever willing to share Your goodness! Amen!

“I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.”( Hosea‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT) Bad seeds exist, planting bad seeds result in little or no fruit no matter what cultivation techniques are used. Using good, uncontamintated seeds yeild a plentiful harvest in good soil watered properly. I have tried growing vegetables using bad seeds; seeds that I thought were good but were not. I failed to produce a crop.  Before I left Nepal to retun to Australia on furlough, I stayed with an English couple who had brought good seeds with them on their return from furlough in England just the weeks previous. They had a good crop growing and they inspired me. When I return to Nepal I will take some seeds from Australia wirh me. They had also learned how to create healthy soil in their garden. Nepali garden soil is lacking nutrients. However, b...

“Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until He comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.” Hosea‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ This verse comes in the middle of a damming indictment against God’s people and a prophesy of destruction. Yet, it is a call to walk in righteousness, and seek the Lord for His righteousness. We know from Romans that none are righteous, all have sinned: “as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.”( Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭) We, in ourselves, are not capable of righteousness. However, God had an answer: “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”( Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭) Righteousness is our through Jesus, we cannot be righteous in ourselves: “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Since by t...

“Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭HCSB‬‬  I am grateful for the talents the Lord has bestowed on me. The best way to show gratitude is to use them for His glory. One of my talents is being able to recover chairs and couches, I see simply and know how to attack the task. My friend with whom I am staying has dining chairs 40 odd years old that are now uncomfortable and ugly to look at. I offered to recover them. I also suggested she buy new curtains as the ones she has are very old and almost ready to disintegrate. We went shopping and found material that would look great on her chairs and also curtains to match. I know how much fresh life will come into the place when they are done. I am quietly excited. It is not enough to have gifts, we must use them to bless others. Tied up in the gifts is the breath of God for that person we choose to bless. 

“Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Yesterday I helped my friend unpack her car which was laden to teh brim with gifts from friends and family. Her little flat bulged at the seams. I have never seen such a bounty. Yesterday I aslo saw photos from Nepal of furniture that I had made for the flat I will share with two anepali women. The furniture is beautiful and my friend who sent it is in amazement at her bounty. Last night I began reading a small book by an Indian man who stepped out to believe God to begin an orphanage. It grew and grew and the Lord took care of the finances as he prayed. Generous Australian donors assisted its growth. My young evangelist friend Timothy wants to do the same in Nepal. He has the land and a friend willing to help but now he needs the finances. I told him about the man I was reading about to encourage him and also told him to ...

“Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ This text can be deceptive to New Testament believers. We are no longer saved by works but by grace and trusting in the finished work of the cross. Our works are a result of knowing Him, not to earn salvation. Today God blessed me, not because I am good, but rather because I am His, and trust Him to be my goodness. Yesterday He blessed me, in fact daily He blesses me with Himself. Who knows how many generations of my family benefited because one person walked with God. I know my great grandmother did, beyond that I do not know, But God does. I trust Him to continue that faithfulness for many more generations. Amen!

“Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ As I write this it is dusk here in Australia and as I gaze out my window I see Venus glowing in the morning sky. Mercury and Mars are there as lesser lights.  The consistency of the planets, Sun and Moon remind me of my God. He holds all things together and they will last until He calls it in and not before. My bible tells me how all things end, and it is not in man’s control. The Lord has been faithful and consistent to mankind since the beginning. I can trust Him for my future and the end of my days. He is good, He alone is good! Amen!

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ I think this is how I came to the Lord. He gradually wooed me and intrigued me until my heart was longing for Him. I know that when I hunger for breakthrough, He causes me to embark on a quest when nothing but He will satisfy. He has me on one now. I long to see an outpouring of His Holy Spirit on my life greater than ever before. I know that unless I have Him in abundance my work in Nepal is fraught with difficulty.  As I now wait in Tamworth, my home town, I know that here is not what I want, the present state of the church is empty for me, I want to dance in the rain of His presence. Church has become routine, I want the Lord to break out of the box. I have just read a book called ‘Humble and lowly’ by Dane Ortland. It presented Jesus as a lover greater than we expect or experience. I’ve also been listening to messages by Bill Johnson and Randy Clarke and the hunger for the fir...

“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 This is part of a famous prophesy given by Jeremiah to God’s people who were still in Babylonian captivity. Much of it is preached about, written about and claimed by Christians also. We can do this as much of the bible prophesy, whilst it did apply to one group of people in one time, also came to be relevant to another group in another time. We all go through exasperating times, some of our making and some our enemies ...

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Seeking peace requires us to sacrifice something, our opinion, our sense of justice, and our selfish preferences. War is much easier, it is retaliatory. It allows those wronged to go all out in revenge.  However, what did Jesus say?  “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ‭‭Matthe...

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Evil is lurking, seeking our destruction. Therefore, it is wise to be able to discern it and shun it, run from it. Satan wishes to deceive us into believing we are less than God intended us to be, and loved less than we are. We are greatly loved and cherished and made in the image of God. We have more than enough in Him. It is our own carnal thinking that tells us, along with our enemy, that we are not loved and not important. We must refuse these thoughts. Satan is constantly speaking accusations against those in our world. We must reject them and pray for those he accuses. He seeks to divide and conquer, don’t let him. Amen!

“Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust Him and not be afraid, for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.” Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ There is no one else who saves me. There is no one else who comforts me like my saviour. He saves me not only from sin, but from the consequences of sin. He saves me from the horrors of sin, He keeps me from sin, whispering “not that way, this way”. We don’t like talk about sin, but we must. We deceive ourselves if we say we do not sin (1 Jn 1:8-10). We do sin, and it lurks in us. We cannot afford to feed it, rather we must starve it and go humbly to the Lord for His deliverance, and He offers it, constantly. As a I look upon Him I have no fear, His strength is enough for me. Amen!

“Indeed, God is my salvation; I will trust Him and not be afraid, for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.” Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Isaiah wrote this some 2,700 years ago to a nation living in turmoil, much like today. However, as a Christian I can say: “Jesus is my only salvation, I will trust Him and not be afraid, He is my strength and song”. I cannot save myself. I am completely in His hands. All my efforts to stay healthy are nothing, without Him. He holds my life in His hands. He is my defence. I take down Goliath by faith in the Son of God. I am not able in my own strength. He builds me up, He holds me together. I will walk in His wholeness. He is enough! More than enough! I will sing songs to Him, I will praise Him in the night! You are all I need! Amen!

“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ There is something special about a friend who turns up when we are in trouble, they bring peace and solutions, all the better. At times God uses me this way. I have an elderly friend, well 10 years older than me. She acts old. I saw her this week after not seeing her for 4 months. She said, “I’ve now realised all you have done for me”. Yes I had done a lot, and there were many times I felt used, because I was. Her problems overwhealmed her, but God gave me clear vision and I knew all would be well, and it was. On my visit she had a problem with her sewing machine, “I cannot make it work, please help me?” I checked how she had threaded the cotton, it was wrong and the bobbin was also threaded wrongly. I fixed both of these and it worked perfectly. I am her problem solver, but now I am serving in Nepal she has had to step up and manage herself. Before I left I gave her a Daily Lig...

“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ If we are in a war torn zone, we would be grateful of a safe house. If we live in an abusive house we would be grateful to know there is a safe place to go. In this troubled world we live in there is a safe place, a place inhabited by Jesus Christ. He has the power to set us free; He has authority over all powers of darkness. We can run to Him. We do not need a priest to find Him, He is right with us all we need to do is say: “Jesus, come into my life and save me, lead me and guide me, I repent of all my sins”. His guidance is found in His word, the bible. His word can be found on a bible Ap, or in the written word. Ask Him for godly friends, he’ll send them. We do not need to try and clean up our act tor experience Him, He cleanses us better than we ever could. He gives us His goodness, He is good, in ourselves we are not. He cleans us from all our sins, daily, moment by moment...

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Today I went to the airport to collect a friend from a flight. While I waited I saw more than a usual amount of small children milling around the glass window excitedly anticipating the arrival of loved ones. As these loved ones poured out of the aircraft the excited children ran to greet their nanas and poppas. Their were also aunts in the mix.  One particular family had three little boys, one a newborn. His siblings waited with anticipation. The little children were cared for by their mothers mainly as it was inside work hours. They were safe and knew it. They frolicked within that safety. We are to remind ourselves that we are also cared for by a loving father and older brother. We are free to frolick within the safety they provide us. Their love is patient and kind, not angry or resentful, ...

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ This scripture is a part of a word from the Lord through Isaiah to God’s people. However, it still speaks today and I claim it. Held by God, having Him stand and hold my hand makes me brave. While the powers of hell rage against me, ‘if God be for me who can be against me!’ (Romans 8:31). My God promises to strengthen me. When I am weak He is my strength. My physical body is weak at times but I cannot look at it but rather at the Lord who is my strength. He is my advocate! Amen!

“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.” Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ We have seen the fulfilment of David’s prayer. No longer is our God remote, He lives within us. He is our comforter, our guide, our counsellor and our advocate. I recently realised that the Holy Spirit was my advocate. I had been  struggling with someone refusing to love me and allow me into her world. When I realised my God was my advocate I asked Him to take over for me. I let the problem go and left it with Him. It is peaceful when I am not hearing the burden. We can gaze on the beauty of the Lord. He is present and ever beautiful. We do not have to feel His presence to gaze upon Him. We can start praising Him for His beauty in all we see and before long we will sense Him. He is here! Amen!

“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.” Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ David longed to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, however, for seven or more years David was chased by King Saul, and for 1 1/2 years he lived in Philistine territory. Jews believed that inside the borders of their land was where God dwelt. Therefore, David’s hunger for God’s presence, and His temple would be very real to him. As Christians we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, God dwells within us. We can never lose Him, we may walk away from Him however He is always there. For us longing is for more of the Holy Spirit’s manifest presence in our lives. More of Him and less of me. This is why we fast and dedicate ourselves to more intense time of prayer and seeking Him. I know Bethel Church is in a time of fasting and prayer right now, my church does this in February after schools g...

“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ There are times when we want to give up, we are emotionally exhausted; we have given all we have and still more is needed. I’ve been here many times, in these times I cry out to the Lord, “You must be my strength!” Then I step out believing I have it. I must do this, it is how God works in my life. I have been injured and at those times I know it was an attack from my enemy. I learned not to ride my bike as this was the most common place he attacked, another time I was recovering from broken ribs and carrying grocery bags into the kitchen. The laces on my trekking boots locked and I fell hard. It hurt, a lot. I screamed out, “God you are my healer and I will praise you!” I got up even in pain and stepped out. I must use my faith if I claim Him to be my healer. When people hurt me I do the same. “God You are more than enough!” I pr...

“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ As usual I wonder what ‘therefore’ is there for. From verse 7 Paul talks about his outer man being like a clay vessel. He says the outer man is dying and the inner man is growing in Christ. This must be a goal, surely? I cannot end my days with a shrivelled up spirit, conversely, it must be thriving and wholly alive to God. My outer body is merely my tent in which I live. This tent will expire but my spirit and soul will live for all eternity. I must choose where I live: whether with my saviour and lord or in the fires meant for Satan and his angels. And so I live my life in my tent, by faith in the work Jesus has done for me, I have work to do. No matter what age I still have work to do. Although my tent wears away, my inner man flourishes as it changes into the likeness of my saviour.  Praise Him! Amen!

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Finding and keeping good friends is important, brothers will always be brothers. Some brothers can betray us. Jesus told his disciples this would happen. David had sons who fought, one had sex with his sister and betrayed her trust. I had a friend whose family turned against her when she left the Seven Day Adventist movement. Some brothers may show their true colours when we desperately need them, meaning they step up. We choose friends, we choose to be faithful to them or unfaithful to them. If we have good friends we should protect and keep them when others criticise them. Choosing good friends is imperative. Good friends are they who do not attempt to lead us astray.  I watched my grandchildren with their friends. These friends are church friends who are committed to following the Lord. They were flourishing with their friends. May it always be so. Last night I had good friends...

““Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Not rembering the past includes rembering the sins of others. When someone asks you something about that person, it is wise to be prepared with a good response. Otherwise you are dragged back into the mess that was. You, and they, do not need it. Tonight I caught up with old friends. They asked about things that were, and some that still are. I told them what God was teaching me so that I could give a better report. I told them I am not the judge and will not do the work of a judge. It is the Lord’s role. Coming away I again must check my heart. Did I paint myself as a ‘goody two shoes’? Possible! Then pride in my humility is present! Aaaah!!! Lord have mercy! Amen!

““Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ The past can include yesterday. If we want to step into this promise of a new thing we must do it by faith. Perhaps there was good in the past, how do we step into a ‘new thing’ with God? Allow Him to reveal even better in the new. Trust Him! I leave Brisbane today. I leave loving children and grandchildren to go the next leg of my journey towards Nepal. Nepal may not be all of my future, God only knows that. However, I don’t believe Australia is my future. I must be prepared to go where He leads. The new in Christ is more of Him, a better version of Him in my life. More is coming. May I not reject it because it does not look like what I expect or imagine. Amen!

“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ I find the more I love the Lord, the more I love people. Today I met my daughter and granddaughter. We had a pleasant time together wandering around market stalls, having a coffee and chatting. My granddaughter is at uni studying nursing. We had a lot to talk about, as I have been a nurse. My daughter had knitted me a multicoloured jumper out of pure merino wool. It is beautiful! I will enjoy wearing it. I really appreciated our time together. I returned to my sons house and attempted to make some macrame key rings with my youngest granddaughter Ellie. We both struggled to understand the knots. I made one, Ellie failed. I promised to take hers with me and work on it whilst in Tamworth. I’ve packed ready to leave early in the mor...

“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ In this modern day we have options with church: we can attend in person or online. Online was made popular during COVID. I am grateful for online church, especially then. Now I am grateful for UTube where messages are stored. Daily I tend to harvest messages given by my favourite preachers.  I know I need spiritual food to become the woman God intends me to be. However fellowship is integral, I need to hear the hearts of others and experience the love of others as we share the scriptures together, have communion together and pray for one another. Although I have a good, healthy releationship with the Lord, I still need the corporate. Worship with a crowd is uplifting. The body reminds me I am a part,of the whole, not the who...

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you.” Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Some struggle to rise out of the bed in the morning. Some stay up too late, some have little children, some work shift work and some just don’t sleep well. I am an early riser and love to get up and greet the day. I love the stillness of the morning, listening to birds chatter, feeling the quiet and loving my time alone with the Lord. It was not always so. Young children tend to bust all plans, however God is there even in mislaid plans. His grace is sufficient for all manner of risings. Often these day I will wake in the wee hours of the early moring. Rather than being troubled and resentful of full of self pity I know God will sustain me, and He does. He is good!

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you.” Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬ ‭HCSB‬‬ Although the whole chapter is speaking about Zion (Jerusalem) we could, as Christians, take this as a promise from the Lord. When we come to Jesus we come into His kingdom and in that Kingdom the light of His glory shines.  Jesus said, “you are the light of the world”(Matt 5:24-26) in John 8:12 He said He was the light of the world.  It appears that Jesus is the light and when we become one with Him we carry that light. That light we must release to others. As we daily submit our hearts and minds to be trained by godly principles we will behave in a godly way. This is the light that we must shine to others. We are also called the salt of the earth, we have a role to play in salting the earth and cleansing it of sin. Amen!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In an attempt to fit in we, at times, copy the behaviour of people we are around. Have you ever heard of a ‘party spirit’? When we go to parties we can find ourselves behaving in a way that is not the normal us, in fact we behave like the people at the party so as to fit it. This does not improve with alcohol on board, it magnifies and becomes worse. I find women affect a posh way of speaking, it is very funny as it not the normal them. Some put on airs and start talking big words to impress, I’ve done that!  What are we so keen to impress others, especially others who cannot lead us to more of Christ? It is Him who fills us with power and authority, not empty vessels that are making a lot of noise. In Christian circles we can act oh so spiritual...

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ As a child of God I am called to copy my Heavenly Father. Hebrews says: you must be holy:  “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” ( Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬) Holiness is not a worldly attribute. It is a godly attribute. How do we be holy? By not copying the world. We do not belong to the world any more. Hatred, malice, evil thoughts all belong to the world. Love, joy, peace, goodness, mercy, long suffering, meekness, self-control belong to God’s kingdom. Daily I must choose who I will represent. Today I leave my house sit, may I leave it in better shape than when I arrived. I pray that I am a blessing today. Amen!

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Today I went out with family as they did some water sports. It was fun to watch them. My kayak was not included and I was not permitted on the huge couch being pulled along at great speed, I’ve broken bones before. I discovered in myself a desire to be included. Yet, I am having to learn to fend for myself, and include myself. Getting offended is not an option. As my son drove me back to my house sit we talked. It was good to have him to myself and be able to talk about things that are going on in the family. We are planning another outing on Saturday and this time the kayak will go along, I’ll have something to do on the water. Today I sat and painted, it was good for my spirit as painting soothes me. I see the Lors in all that is happening. He is teaching me a lot about my attitude and keeping my heart free from angst. Good lessons! Amen!

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Hebrews tells us that ‘Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered’ (He 5:8). If the Son of God learned obedience through suffering how can we escape? If we expect a bed of roses we are mistaken. However, if we understand what Jesus meant, “take up your cross and follow Me” (Matt 16:24-26), then we will know that our walk with Him includes suffering with Him. He is our companion. All the earth is filled with people who have suffered, are suffering or will suffer. The only suffering I wish to avoid is eternal suffering in the fires of Hell. Therefore, I must take up my cross, now, and follow Him. Amen!

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I am convicted that I must do a study on ‘the words of my mouth’. I have found 26 scriptures and will work through them this month. The Lord’s hand is upon my heart and my mouth. He is teaching me to ponder things in my heart more without reacting.  God demonstrated the power of His words. He wants us to follow His examples. Our words carry creative power. We can build up or tear down. He also wants me to cover others. If I have a problem with them then I should deal with them one on one, unless they refuse to listen. Then I can take someone else with me. If they finally don’t listen, then I can tell the church. Unfortunately we have it the other way around. We are quick to complain to others. This year is a year of becoming more Christlike, watching my words and guarding my heart. Amen!

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬ If the word of God is hidden in our hearts then there is no room for anger, offense, criticism, pride, fear, and lust. The word directs us and keeps us from the enemy’s clutches. The way this is facilitated is through meditation on the word instead of the sin. The battle is for the mind. What will I dwell upon, what will I yield control to? To meditate on the word we must be in regular contact, daily at least, more often is best. When we learned our tables we read and reread them until they became a part of who we are. Toilet doors were reminder charts, they have also been reminder posts for scripture. Learn the word! Amen!

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Fooling ourselves is something we do. In a fit of New Year’s resolution we will say: “this year I won’t eat junk, I’ll exercise more”. Yet, when we are stressed, we eat junk, when it is cold outside we don’t want to walk, run, ride our bikes, or swim. And so, we slip back into old ways. People who are addicted to alcohol do this as do drug dependants, so do foodies. Our minds will create reasons we must stay where we are and so we do not change. In spiritual matters we are blind to our habitual sins, others will see them, but unless we invited the Holy Spirit to reveal them they will stay hidden, and our religious traditions will satisfy us. Only the power of God will move us, and change us.  Of la...

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This is a stiff rebuke. We need to listen. Why is the BUT there? For what went before: “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We must develop ears to hear, hearts that respond and minds that determine to obey. We are being merely religious if we act piously as if we do obey, but when our bottle is tipped react in an ungodly way.  Malicious talk that is covered in humour stinks. It is...

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Oh how I would love to have been there! What an amazing world! What an amazing God who brought our world into being and our universe for us to enjoy and explore.  We can do focus on the small, irritating things that go wrong and fail to see the glory in all God created. We can allow the enemy of our soul to deter us from seeing the way God sees and loving what He loves and how He loves. How good He is! I am currently having to deal with complainers. I am finding my Nepali friends are quick to complain. I am given the reaponsibility to remind them to be thankful. We all need to be grateful and show appreciation for all that is good. Amen!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ It all began one day, whether we subscribe to the ‘Bing Bang’ or the ‘seven day of creation’, God was there, He started it all and He will end it all. I believe the Bible to be the Word of God. In it this was the beginning. The book of Genesis was reputed to have been written by Moses. He was not present in the beginning so how did he know? it is thought either God told him or he wrote what mankind had been saying in story times handed down from the beginning. Moses spent a lot of time in God’s presence, it is highly possible God told him, however, we may need to wait for the answer until we see the Lord face to face as he did. What to do in the meantime? Trust in faith that God did indeed begin all things and that He sustains all things. In the book of Revelation Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (1:8). Amen!