The day with dianne Louise

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬ You may say, “but I don’t have everything I need, what about my bills”? God provides wisdom to manage our finances, and He provides those who will help us in our need. However, if we behave like a person in the world and do not live as a wise person, but rather as someone who has put their head in the ground, then we will not see the help God provides. When we ignore our problem we act foolishly. However, taking Godly counsel is wise. God has given us His promises to use in faith to receive. His promises have power. If we confess His promises instead of the problem we find the power to overcome it. As we use His promises we ...

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I have never thought of the Lord singing joyful songs over me, have you? This is a wild notion. Today my spirit flooded with fresh vision for my next steps. It happened whilst I was having a Nepali language lesson. I did not plan it, it just came. I think it was a result of a successful navigation of relational conflict over the weekend. It involved all parties. I wonder if it would have been destroyed if the conflict escalated? I know how I sang over my children when they were small. I wonder if this is how God sings  over us when we trust Him for a solution. I know good results brings joy and paves the way for the Holy Spirit to work in our midst.  Lord, May Your kingdom come! Your will be done! Amen!

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Although this verse is taken from a chapter about Israel, the Christian can identify with the promise as He, our God, has kept His word and now dwells within our hearts. He has taken out our hearts of stone and given us a heart of flesh. He takes delight in us as we, by faith, walk with Him leaning our entire trust upon Him. As we trust Him with more of our lives we flourish. With His love He calms our fears. Like a loving father who delights in us, He will do us no wrong. Amen!

“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 Humility produces good works, and humility comes with wisdom. Humility is recognising that my view about a situation is not necessarily the Lord’s. Whilst I may have strong feelings about a matter, my feelings are not necessarily God’s. They are just my own. I need to submit my feelings to the Lord and ask Him to take control of the matter. He does it in ways that are so good. So good in fact that I could not have done anywhere near what He does. I must trust Him! Amen!

“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. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” ‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Wisdom from above is not riddled with jealousy and selfish ambition. Rather it takes us to the Lord. What is worldly wisdom is dependant on self. Last night I had a discus...

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I appreciate good judgement in others, hopefully I manifest it myself. I know I do when the Lord is in control. It may seem I don’t quite know where I’m going, but I do. I’m following the Lord. Hear and obey, is a good motto. Today I translated Your worthy of it all, into Nepali and  hope to refine it and share it with my Nepali friends. I also cooked lunch for my friends and again pleased their tastebuds, especially the chilli pickle I made them. So good to be able to listen to worship music whilst working. We are so blessed to live in a time like this.  Good judgement is displayed in all facets of our lives. Today I joined Instagram. What a blessing to see so many of God’s people in worship and honouring Him. Thank You Lord!

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬ Notice the above verse does not say: ‘the fear of the Lord is wisdom’, but rather ‘the beginning of wisdom’. As a child I had a fear of my father’s wrath. However, this did not stop me from being foolish and ending up facing his wrath, especially when it came to squabbles with siblings. Wisdom is learned if we have an ear to hear, otherwise resentment results. I know one lesson I learned from my dad was to not steal. As a young teenager I went on an excursion from the country to Sydney with my school classmates. On our last night we were taken to a restaurant. I’m not sure if it was a dare, however, I stole a wine glass. My dad was furious and told me never to steal. That lesson stayed with me. Our Heavenly Father is training us in righteousness, that means right living, according to His Holy Standards. His goal is to create in us brothers and sisters ...

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Trusting with all my heart means I will not depend on my own understanding. Did that sink in? All my heart, not just a surface touch, a pretence, a dance around. Imagine you are in a violent storm and you are on a bridge that is collapsing. A helicopter comes along and a man call to you, “jump from the bridge and I’ll catch you”. Would you do it if the bridge is creaking heavily and about to rupture or would you hang onto the bridge? I think I’d pray and ask the Lord to catch me. He has a greater success rate, and He could use the rescue team or somerhing I do not know of. We cannot save ourselves, or defeat our enemy in our own strength, but we can win with our God, our shepherd. Amen!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In my endeavour to follow the Lord, unfortunately , I make assumptions, which are wrong. A current example is my visa applications in Nepal. I am able to obtain a five month tourist visa but to stay longer I need to apply for either a student visa, research visa or business visa. Each carry weight of a different sort and each differ in expense. As I have, last year, completed a Linguistics degree, I started with a research visa but soon knew this was the wrong path. I had an ear to hear what the university contact said to me, “what is the principal reason for being in Nepal”? I knew the answer, learn the language and get to know the people. This helped me find my way back to simply learning the language. Whilst God has given me a vision for a business, a business visa requires $100,000 US to be spent in Ne...

“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 Gratitude is a great antidote for worry. The more grateful you are the more peace you have because your eyes are off the situation causing anxiety. I practice gratitude when I can’t sleep. I remember my childhood and see God’s hand in it and thank Him for every part of it. By concentrating on gratitude my mind is focused on the Lord. He is my peace, He guards me against all the turmoil that comes with anxious thoughts. They have no say when gratitude is in action. I have a dear friend who is going through a financial turmoil at present, he needs God to be in the midst of his problem. The Lord took me through deep waters financially and taught me that He provides. I came to trust Him, ho...

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Not many would consider peace as a guard, but rather a state of rest inside a place guarded by those on active duty. Peace is also  associated with escape from turmoil and duty. Yet, peace is what Jesus exuded, amidst the storm. He was asleep in the boat tossed about on a stormy sea. The disciples woke Him saying, “don’t you care we are about to be drowned!” He got up and rebuked the storm showing peace was greater, and actually in charge. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit. When we allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge, peace results. I have a friend who once said to me, “Di allow peace to be your navigator!” At that time anxiety was in charge. Learning to allow peace to navigate has been a journey for me. It ...

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This father had already asked the disciples to deliver his son and they failed. Perhaps he wrongly assumed that their master was likewise unable. The disciples assumed they would be able as they had experienced a victorious time where the demons were subject to them. I wonder if their confidence came from themselves and not the authority Jesus had given them? When they asked Jesus why they could not set the man free He said, “this kind onky comes out through prayer and fasting”. Why did this demon have greater authority to stay? It’s power was subject to Jesus’ authority nonetheless. I once encountered a man with a spirit of anger. I was walking on the beach with my dog. I could feel it coming from far away. The man came and told me off for having my dog on the beach. I thanked him for the information and moved on. This man did not want deliverance. Another time I met a wom...

““ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬ These words were spoken by Jesus to a father of a demon possessed son. All the child’s life he had been troubled by this spirit that constantly abused the child by throwing it into fire. The child had not known freedom. The father had probably tried everything to see His son free and had brought him to Jesus’ disciples, who also could not set him free. The father response to Jesus’ words above were: “ I believe, help my unbelief!” Many who have struggled with disease for years can identify with this man. Yet, an encounter with Jesus sets them free. Being in an atmosphere of faith is all that is needed. Seeking freedom, seeking Jesus and His power today. Amen!

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We have an enemy who would tie our minds to what is lacking, failing and struggling and then accuse our God for failure to deliver. Our God is not the enemy. He is right beside us as we learn to take hold of the promises He has made to us. Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33). He also said, “abide in Me and I will abide in you” (John 15:4-11). These two require focus and trust.  Keep focus! Amen!

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The verse before this gives us context: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ What thoughts about heaven can we entertain? I’ve had a song knocking about in my spirit: Praise the Lord oh my soul, praise the Lord oh my soul (Elevation music). Praise is a good place to start; Praise at all times, good and bad. Praise Him when I’m awake in the wee hours; praise for the dogs that bark; the planes that roar in overhead. Praise Him for the seeds that will not sprout, praise Him though my head aches and my back is tender. Praise Him! Though the fig tree does not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine, though the produce of the olive fails and the crops produce no food, even though the sheep die in the field and the cattle barns are empty, yet will I rejoic...

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We can say Jesus is my saviour, but what do you actions say? I am helping Him out! Does He need our help? I know this but why do I attempt to help Him out? I say He is my healer but do I also go to the doctors or chemist? Yes! We all tend to do that, unless we are in a land where they are not available. This happened to me once in Bali. I became very ill and although I sent for medicines they made me worse and so I had to trust God. I had been experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea for over 12 hours and knew I was dehydrating. My husband told me to trust the Lord. I did. The next morning, after two hours sleep I got up and went whitewater rafting. I had the best day. However, the biggest challenge then was fear. In Nepal I experience vomiting and diarrhoea and get the prayer warriors praying. Then I go to sleep and rise up healed. Mind you I do att...

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I am in Nepal as a missionary and see many gods claiming service and adoration. Last night as I walked to visit friends several shops had insence buring to their gods. Fear drives many to worship. Most mornings I hear a call to prayer between 6:30am and 7:00am. Along my road there is a temple and a house where the caller goes to rouse the locals. Praise God I do not need rousing to pray to my God. As I open my eyes I know it’s time to pray. Jesus defies all the nations of the world who either refuse Christianity a place, as in communism, Islam, Hinduism, despotism, and the west those who slipping away. I praise God for the awakening that is occurring in my home country Australia. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father except through Me!” Self effort will not suffice. Expecting God to lower His standard to s...

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I remember the chorus that went: Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the holy One, Give thanks for He has given Jesus Christ the Son. Give thanks! This morning at church I heard a message: Give thanks even if God never does anything else but give you salvation. I agree! Whilst this is a hard call, it is essential we face it. Many in the persecuted church already do, how about us?? Eteenity is waiting! Amen!

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬ How can someone who is watching a loved one die of cancer give thanks? I watched my mum die a painful death, and yet was thankful for all the good we shared, thankful for the fun times, the laughter, doing life together, sharing Jesus, gardening together. I praised God for being with us, for being present in all. My God did not cause the illness, and yes He could have healed her, but that did not happen. He had brought her through a stroke in an amazing way, but this problem stayed.  Paul was possibly in prison when he wrote these words. Paul had been flogged, stoned, shipwrecked, opposed at every turn but still he remained thankful. There is healing in thankfulness. There is purity here. Try thankfulness, it will heal you! Amen!

“Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ It is God’s will that we rejoice always, pray constantly and be thankful in all circumstances. Even the psalms tell us that God loves the sacrifice of praise. “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The Lord does not want fancy offerings, He want thankfulness and praise. He knows this releases our spirits. Today has been a pleasant day. The girls went out to church, Nepalis have Saturday off, so that is when they go to church. I had the house to myself and played worship music, praised the Lord and cooked lunch. The girls were impressed.  Th Lord has been very close today. I would not want to be anywhere else. I am about to go to an afternoon Nepali service at 4pm,...

“Never stop praying.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ If we are kingdom minded we pray. We pray for God’s kingdom to come in us and in our world. As I pray I sense God’s love for the lovely, ordinary folk in my world. His compassion fills me and I pray. As I pray I want Him to fill me with all of Him and for Him to spill out into my world. I look forward to going out into my world to meet the people who He wants to bless and impact. This day is not about me, but He. We can be so preoccupied with us and our needs and be blind to those the Holy Spirit wants to touch. He who has eyes to see, let him see! Amen!

“Always be joyful.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This must be one of the shortest sentences in the bible. Nonetheless, it is poignant. It tests us. We have things happen that are not joyous, but we are exhorted to be joyful. How do we do that? Repent if needed and praise, always. There is joy in repentance. I know, I do my share of it. Their is abundant joy in praise. Today I visited my printer for another song sheet and my mobile phone shop for a new lead. Both are grateful for the business. I am grateful for the service. Little children play on the streets as it is school holidays. Two young boys were showing off their prowess on their bikes and looking for attention, they received it. There is joy in serving the Lord! Amen!

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Always is always! How do we be joyful in all circumstances? By cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Praise and thanksgiving keep us joyful! Joy is a fruit of the spirit. Joy is resident within, let it out! On Monday as I returned from the shower I crinked my back and it resisted all attempts to repair. Finally I had enough and said, “tomorrow I will walk in the healing my God has given me”. I praised the Lord for His healing. Yesterday I got up, and went out to a shop to have my phone case replaced and a new screen protector put in place. I am now a customer of a lovely Nepali man who is very grateful I came. Before going out I asked the HolySpirit  to clothe me with Himself. While out I also downloaded some songs I want to play on my ukelele. They are worship songs. I went to my Nepali printer and had him print ...

“Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬ These two passages seem odd in a Psalm, and so what is the context of the remaining verses? This is a psalm written by Asaph. In it he is acting as a priest,  as if He is speaking for God. There seem to be contradictions, eg.,  “Bring my faithful people to me— those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.” Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭5‬ NLT‬‬ “I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭8‬-‭9‬,‭NLT‬‬ “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The psalm...

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭20‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬ A heart of compassion wants to bless those in need. Last night I went to the grocery store to buy food for our dinner. On the way there were two men and a young boy selling fruit and vegetables. My heart went out to them. One man I had met earlier in the day further down the road. That man had been standing all day with his cart attempting to sell fruit. He was not a good salesman as he did not call out his wares, instead he looked with pleading eyes. The young boy sitting on the pavement is an enterprising young man and we have bought from him before. I offered him money and he refused, he wanted to sell his goods. I respected that. I did not need what he was selling as we had bought the same as his earlier in the day. However, I’m determined to return each night and ...

“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In the wee hours of this morning, we’ll…4:30am, my son called me from Australia. I was awake and in the bathroom with headphones on. I raced to my room to take the call. What a blessing it was! Today Monika amd I went for. Walk to the music shop to look at a piano, however, the shop was shut. We were redirected to a distance back along the way we came. I am glad we went. I met some lovely Nepali people. I bought a Ukelele and we bought more vegetables from the most humble young vendor in a hole in the wall. My heart goes out to the Nepali vendors. I praise God for bringing me here, and for my new Ukelele. I can play it a little, and it was cheaper than a piano. Praise God for His love!

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬ This scripture comes after a passage talking about loving your enemies as well as those who love you. Jesus encourages us to love our enemies as well as those who are easy to love. Who are your enemies? Your critics, those who block you and lock you out. They could be those who persecute you, those who are attacking you. How to respond in love? Paul exhorts us to understand our enemies are spiritual forces of wickedness in high places, the people they use are mere pawns, slaves to darkness and in need of deliverance: “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ These enemies we fight in prayer, with scripture and worship. Lifting up the name of Jesus above all, inviting His kingdom to come raises the power of God over all t...

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The Lord is faithful, we vacillate. Our love is dependent on how you make us feel. Godly love knows we are sinners but in compassion loves us anyway. Yesterday a young 16 year old boy walked into a church in Aydney Australia, and stabbed the minister almost to death. The congregants jumped up to help the minister. Why did the young man attempt murder? Because he could, because hate filled his life and his mind was probably being controlled by darkness. To live in mercy is what God does. Jesus prayed, whilst on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!”(Luke 23:34). As Christians such love is given to us and fill our hearts. The Holy Spirit has this love. When hurt we can turn to Him for His supply instead of hatred. A family in Western Sydney did this when three of their children were hit by a out...

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬ It is good to know God’s mercies begin afresh each new day as there is no other source. Mercy requires selfless love, hatred is easy.  The world waits to see what Israel will do as a result of the Iranian attack on early Sunday morning. They fired rockets at Israel on Saturday which arrived in Israel in the early hours of Sunday. Fortunately, Israel and its partners shot 99% down. However, there are many in the war cabinet who would like to retaliate, it will be precisely what Iran wants. Just as Israel is about to start its last ground offensive in southern Gaza, this comes. Is this strike a deterrent, a distraction? I am praying for wisdom. May Israel depend on the Lord for that wisdom and act according to wisdom. Wisdom will succeed. Having God’s direction ensures victory. Having God’s mercy protects.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Jesus said, “He who has ears let him hear”(Matt 11:15). In the surrounding scripture He was describing John the Baptist, after this verse He talked about children in the market place calling to one another, inferring an insensibility to what had been spoken. Did the people really hear John’s message? Jesus told the parable of the sower and the seed to highlight the importance of having a heart to hear and understand. We can so easily hear and not really appreciate what was spoken and straightaway lose what had been said. We lose an opportunity to grown and gain insight into the kingdom of God. The important thing is: we cannot descriminate on where the truth will originate, if God used a donkey to speak to Balaam, He can use a child or an old lady. So…be ready at all times and have your ears open. Amen!

“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.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬ What makes us angry? The actions of others? Opinions fueled by media, and noise? Scripture tells us, ‘be angry but do not sin’( Ephesians 4:26,27). There are things, injustices, that we should be angry about and go to prayer about. We sin when we adopt attitudes to the people who speak lies given them by Satan. The problem is the spirit behind the person not the person. James, in the scripture above, tells us to be slow to become angry. We do this by thinking through and praying about a matter. When we have God’s insight into the angst we are able to deal with it correctly. Anger is not wrong but needs to be handled correctly. If it drives us to injure another person, in word or action,  it is wrong. However, if it causes us to pray, then it is constructive.  Today’s world...

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We should never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. Complacency and familiarity can cause us to disrespect Him when He is a powerful ally. When we need Him, faith in His ability to help is imperative, otherwise we are helpless. Jesus said, “All things are possible to Him who believes!”(Mark 9:23). We need to believe and protect our believing by righteous living, and cultivating a close relationship with the Holy Spirit. The more I watch secular shows, the harder it is to believe. I need to build up my faith and protect my heart from lusts for things that destroy my relationship with the Holy Spirit.  “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭ Stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit! What would He have you do?

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The verse just before this one speaks of the antichrist and those who speak from that Spirit. However, those of us who are filled with the Holy Spirit claim Jesus as Lord and not only that,  Paul says:  “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This morning I awoke to hear that Iran has launched an air attack against Israel. The war is now escalating and the dark prince is committed. As when Sadam Hussein launch an attack on Israel in 1991, I am committed to pray. Israel has known this day is coming and is prepared. Let all the world know how great is our God! The spirit of antichrist is evident across...

“You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.” Leviticus‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This verse reminds me of a marriage covenant, to be faithful unto death. This is exactly what the Lord has in mind. However, His people did not understand faithfulness in marriage let alone being faithful to the Lord. Not having the Holy Spirit inside makes the task an impossibility. Having the Holy Spirit inside makes faithfulness doable, both to marriage partners and the Lord. Jesus said, “if you abide in Me and My word abides in you, you can aske whatever you want and it will be done” (John 15:7). The benefit of faithfulness is immense. God showers His love and favour upon us. Best of all, He abides with us! Amen!

“You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” Leviticus‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬ The bulk of this chapter deals with sexual uncleaness. If you wonder what God says about sex, then you should read it. He also deals with eating animals that crawl upon the ground, sacrificing children to Molech, marriage to close relatives and consulting mediums. This chapter spells out what God considers unclean and unholy. It gives us a starting point. Jesus said, “you must be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy”(Matt 5:48). (Some versions use perfect instead of holy). Holy, therefore, is not polluted with uncleaness, not adopting the ways of the world, being wholly set apart for God. When Jesus was teaching in Matthew 5-7 He dealt with a deeper attitude than just keeping the law. For example:He stated that wanting to murder and hatred was the same as committing murder. Jesus redefined what holiness was. All throughout His ministry He confront...

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Paul was addressing food offered to idols in this chapter; whether to eat or not. However, in Nepal food offered during ceremonies to idols is eaten. Christians here avoid such food. Paul said, ‘if your conscience does not bother you and it causes no one to stumble, go ahead!’ As I have never been in a situation where I was required to eat such food, I have never had to make a choice. I cannot say what I would do. As non-Christians here, are mostly aware, I don’t imagine such an occasion would arise, but I may be wrong. Today is New Year’s Eve in Nepal. The girls and I are having buff daal bhat. Buff is buffalo. We went to the local butcher shop this morning to buy the meat. I watched the butcher using the same knife for chicken and buff. Apparently that is illegal here, I thought it was unhygienic but knew we were cooking up the meat, and reasoned all bugs would be cooked...

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬ While our worldly culture is now talking about having sex with a dog, this scripture is worlds apart and calling for holiness in eating and drinking. We could expand it to whatever we do. This includes our speech, our private sexual activity and even our grocery shopping and driving on the motorways. All! As the world becomes darker we must draw closer to the light. Only in the light is true relationship with our God. In Him is no sin, in Him is perfection, in Him is truth and life. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=kf5kGXZS8z4&si=dJo7wdQVdF26JQ04

“He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Jesus said John the Baptist was Elijah, even though John denied it. Perhaps John was being humble and Jesus as the greater bestowed honour on him. People did come to repentance when John preached. We have no record that parents and children were restored. However, we know Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their neglect of their parents. For the treatment of John and Jesus destruction did come upon Jerusalem when the Romans destroyed the temple and many were killed in the Jewish uprising in 66AD. History record over 1 million Jews were killed and 70,000 were taken to Rome to build the colosseum.  The book of Revelation speaks of another Elijah type (Rev 11:1-14) along with another, perhaps a Moses type. Again the world persecuted these two witnesses, they died but rose again after three days...

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,” ‭‭Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ We all receive grace at salvation; wirhout it we would not come to Christ. When we receive the Spirit of Christ at salvation, it indwells us. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our counsellor, guide and comforter. As such he teaches us what is right and godly, we receive a natural aversion to ungodliness and worldly passions. This present age is falling apart quickly, the filth of depravity is seeping into every area as the world rejects Christ. Sodom and Gomorrah are playing out before our very eyes. As Lot and his family had to escape we are given a way of escape, a life in Christ. We need to draw near to Him as the darkness closes in, He is ra...

“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 That a new heart is in residence is shown by our actions. Are the fruits of the Spirit evident? Is there love, joy, patience, humility, goodness, kindness, peace and self-control? These are produced as we become acquainted with the blessed Holy Spirit. Do we think of others? Do we consider them before ourselves? Do we see things from their perspective? Do we look for ways to bless? Many of the above require a paradigm shift in our thinking. It is no longer just about us and how something makes us feel, but rather what is the big picture and what is God using it to achieve in our lives? Allow Him to rule! Seek His opinion! 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 The whole of this Chapter is written to God’s people Israel. It is prophetic and much has been fulfilled. We Christians take this scripture to heart also as it speaks of God giving us a new heart, which He does at salvation. Before being born again our hearts are like stone towards Him. After being born again we love Him and His word. If fact we have a new, soft heart. Keeping a soft heart is dependent on us staying close to our Lord, abiding in the vine. As we stay connected His life flows through us and we are continually filled and renewed. Stay close and abide! Amen!

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Do you remember playing where you count out a pile of lollies and call: “mine, Yours!” Imagine a small child and Jesus. Yes He would do that! Back to the big picture. All is His and He allows us a very small field to play in. All He created for us to enjoy. The truth is He wants us to enjoy Him. Just as a child includes others in play and sharing, our Lord wants us to share our thoughts, our conversation, our life with Him. Think of Him and talk to Him! Amen!

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” 1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In our ability to fly spaceships, solve medical problems, build tall buildings, and magnificent ships, we can tend to think we are gods. However, being god is expensive for us, whereas trusting God is not. He created all things through a word. We spend billions. People suffer in our endeavours.  Our true God does not rob the poor, abuse them or use them. He lifts them, heals them, blesses them when they come to Him for His answers. If all the money was removed how great would we be? Money is not the answer, Jesus is. He forgives our sins and heals us. Jesus taught us to pray: give us this day our daily bread… as we pray He provides. The above scripture comes from David’s dedication and crowning of His Son Solomon and the collection of of...

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Today I experienced a tug to pray for extended periods in the Spirit. I walk to church and it takes around 45-50 minutes and throughout worship I was in the Spirit. Again I am in prayer in the Spirit. What is happening Lord? He has not shown me, but I know I need to pray. Someone, somewhere needs prayer. God is moving in their lives. If the Holy Spirit needs us to pray we should pray. Amen!

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬ This encouragement is plain and evident. Prayer is our mandate. Not only do we maintain our relationship with the Lord but with each other. The enemy’s push will be not to pray. He will employ offence, non-interest, and selfishness. He will tell us there is no need, or that people should pray themselves. This is why we become observers and critics, instead of participators, friends and colleagues.  However, Paul had urged us to pray on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests, always praying for the Lord’s people. I sense when others are praying for me, I am lifted up and encouraged. I value prayer, I covet it even. Paul knew the value of prayer and appreciated when others prayed for Him. Don’t be discouraged in prayer, keep praying! Amen!

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬ When Adam and Eve faced off with Satan, they did not know what manner of beast he was. He deceived them who knew no sin to sin. When Jesus faced him He knew him well and handled him with the word of God. We have been given the word of God. We have been warned about the deceiver and have no need to listen to his lies. He is a counterfeit, smooth talking angel of light who hails from the pit of hell. If we know our saviour well we will not fall for the lies. Walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬ The sword is the word of God, not the word of man, nor the whisperings of our enemy. The accuser uses others and plain old whispering into our mind. Thoughts come with regular succession. ‘Hath God said’ is constant. Constant are the lies and murmurings. He accuses others to us, when they have not done or said a thing. The reason we have a helmet that represents our salvation, the blood of Christ, is because this is a target area. Why else would we be targeted there? Through our thought-gate comes the lies that would tear us away from our saviour. Paul exhorts us to stand in the truth of the gospel. We need to know our sword. It is the living word of God not the dull piece of metal it represents. It is alive, sharper than any two edged sword, able to pierce bone and marrow, getting to the heart of a matter and convicting of truth. It is living and active. We need to know it ...

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is substance not wishful thinking. I have a vision for a business in Nepal. Sitting and waiting for things, such as finace I believe I will need, is not an option. Therefore, I’ve reached out to those who might help with the logistics. Tomorrow I plan on making a trip to an area 77kms away to inspect it with eyes of potential. Faith is tied to this vision. I believe God gave it to me and so I will pursue it, allowing Him to direct.  Faith protects my heart. My love for the Lord is centered there. I cannot allow false loves to enter. I also must protect and cherish the gratitude for the grace He has given me. It is not for sale! Our God is very interested in what and who we are becoming. Share His joy in your life! Amen!

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I cannot imagine a soldier who fought with spears, swords and javelins not having a shield of sorts. Frodo Baggins had a mail undershirt. For him it was a shield. Modern day soldiers wear bulletproof vests. The problem we Christians have is realising we are in a war and being appropriately girded. We can deny this actuality all we like and be brutalised as a result. While not being devil focussed we can be God focused to the point of walking in the righteousness He provides. This righteousness does not depend on us, however, in faith we use it. No matter what accusations thrown at us we can stand in the righteousness Jesus gave us. Amen!

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Stand firm! We are watching our governments fold under a wave of wokism, they are failing to stand firm. Perhaps their houses are on shifting sand. We will also fall as the waves of ideology wash in and threaten our homes and lives. We must be standing solidly on the rock of salvation; the word of God. Unless the adults in our society have solid foundations their homes will buckle as many did in the recent earthquake in Taiwan. How can we lead our homes unless we have a rock beneath us? Stand firm! Amen!

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Truth is only truth when it is based in God and His word. Otherwise we are prone to deception and lies. My challenge is finding the belt of truth in what others are saying to me. It is also important in finding what God acrually wants me to do for others. I am surrounded by hands outstretched wanting my financial aid. My focus must be: who has God asked me to support? What is He wanting to do in the faith lives of others? How will I impede the faith of others by being where I should not be? Lastly, what is He wanting to do in my life through this time? Yesterday I felt a wall wherever I turned. My computer work would not format properly, my bank would not process payments, payments from overseas would not eventuate. Lastly, outstretched hands wanting relief...

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Notice this says, put on every piece of God’s armour. We cannot be haphazard with the weapons we are given. We also need to know where every piece is and what it does. Our armour cannot be under the bed gathering dust. It would be foolish of us if an enemy turned up at our camp and we did not know how to defeat him. We are in training, God’s boot camp. He allows us to face struggles so that we pick up our armour and use it well. For me today I needed to worship and listen to God’s word. I struggled all day with a formatting problem and half of yesterday. Apparently because I am using Microsoft online I have less tools. I will need to download the package and be more able to complete the task at hand. In warfare I cannot go to war without my tools of war. I need to constantly train with them also. ...

“  “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭13-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Now is a day when we must be wide awake and alert. Take to heart what this scripture says. The enemy is pumping out shame and accusations. Reject Him and his lies against yourself and your family and friends. He is also lying about the nature of God and His power. Reject it! Pray in the Sp...

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Our enemy works hard to convince us that the problem is ours, that we are a failure and are defeated. If we fail to listen to the Holy Spirit then we will fall for the lies. Our challenge is to keep our eyes on Jesus and to stay in the zone of His power that is at work in us. When Jesus was facing Pilate and declaring that He had spoken the truth, Pilate said, “what is truth?” He represents what is typical in our world today. Satan questions truth at every turn. We must know Jesus as our way, truth and life. We know truth as we stay in the word of God. His word corrects us, keeps us and carries us. There is no truth apart from God’s word. Amen!

“Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭TPT‬‬ When we sin in a selfish way, all we need to do is repent and recognise how we came to the sin. Today I found myself speaking nastily in response to losing a game. My friend made a point of blocking my move and my sense of injustice, fuelled by selfishness, reacted. Fortunately I saw the snake and repented and asked for help to clean out selfishness. Some of the things that hinder us are already in our hearts. Even though we may guard our hearts now our selfish reactions may have been in place since childhood. Therefore, we need to clean out the house, and praise God the Holy Spirit is right on that task. His house must be clean. Moving forward I need to be aware what gives room to selfishness and reject it before it makes a home in my heart. Again, my Counsellor comes to my aid. Praise Him!

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬ In battle soldiers wear protective vests and helmets to protect them in their vulnerable areas. We must protect ourselves in our vulnerable areas: our minds and hearts. Yesterday I was attacked in my mind by the accuser and my heart ached for my eldest grandson. Both of these were dealt with by prayer and the word of God. I am grateful for loving friends who spoke the word to me when I failed to. Being Easter and being away from family made my susceptible to emotional attacks. We are given the word of God for a reason, Jesus knew and experienced attacks from Satan. He also robbed Satan of many of his demons homes by casting them out of people. He confronted Satan with the word of God: it is written…. Jesus also taught that we must cast all our cares upon the Lord, for ahe cares for us. This is how we protect our hearts. By prayer and petition we pray. Yesterday I also...

“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ We all have people coming to our homes or workplaces looking for someone who is not present. We have to report: “they are not here!” And if they have gone away to another place we say: “he is no longer here!” My eldest grandson has entered the army and is no longer at his home. Therefore his family would say, “he is no longer here!” Jesus was no longer in his temporary accomodation. Although He was expected to stay, He left as He had a better plan. Heaven was waiting! We will also experience this. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are liberated from our prisons, we are set free! Praise God! We are offered a seat in heavenly places. Why would we stay! Move out! Amen!