Our Father

“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

When I read this, especially’with His love He wil calm all your fears’ I am reminded of what I did for my children when they were little. Holding them close and whispering words of love, soothed them. Along with my words was my caress,  and I rocked them to comfort them.

I have such a father. He takes delight in my wins over selfishness and fear. When I give generously He whispers, ‘thankyou!’ When I am kind to the poor He thanks me. I feel His joy.

May we be aware of our Father’s presence and love today as we abide in Him! Amen!

My friends

“A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus said to His disciples, “I no longer call you servants but now I call you friends, because everything I have learned from the Father I have shared with you” (John 15:15).

With a friend like Jesus we are definitely safe and secure. He will not become offended with us and speak ill of us, He will not betray us, He will cover us. He has given us His Holy Spirit.

As I am in Nepal the friends I have developed here are closer than family at home, they now act as my family. They are on the spot when trouble comes. However, Jesus is right with me through all the pain and sickness I experience. His goodness is great for me. How good is He? Amen!

Resting

“For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.”Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Resting is so refreshing. Yesterday I felt my body needed a rest as the day before I had pushed it with exercise, but I had a friend coming to visit. I decided to go visit plant nurseries with my friend as he also likes plants. We had an enjoyable time. It was pleasant and restful. We can find rest even where we think it is unavailable.

We rest from our striving, and allow God to lead us beside still waters. Here are luscious grasses. I remember as a child laying down in a paddock of green clover and watching the clouds. It was fun! Finding such a place here in the concrete jungle of Kathmandu is a challenge. Therefore I walk past fields where workers idly tend to the fields as not much is happening right now, the rains have yet to come. I embrace the huge gum trees from Australia and enjoy the walk. As I approach a busy intersection I find a lane way hidden and traverse that. Arriving at the swimming pool I enjoy laps of quiet in the warm water. This is rest.

Currently my work is three Nepali lessons a week and editing school curriculum for a friend. This is not hard at all.

I am tempted to busy myself and have put up my hand to help refugees at church. This may make me busy, however I will seek the Lord’s timetable. Soon I will be rewriting my research proposal to incorporate the Karmarong people of western Nepal, however, I am waiting on permission and data.

I know that in the field I will not be busy, daily I will do research but it will not be onerous. I will be alone for extended periods and will need to see the Lord’s company as enough. He is good! Amen!

Forgive the ugly

“Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A lot of hurt we feel is subjective, offending our selfish lives. Often it is not intended, yet we take it personally. If we can only step back and ask: why does this upset me? Am I operating in the flesh here?

Yes there are brutal people in our world who abuse mercilessly, we have seen it in the faces of the last Israeli hostages that were released. Three men who were gaunt and hollow, needing healing and love. We hear it in stories of Christians jailed in China and North Korea. 

Last night I read a story about three men in jail during the Second World War. Two were at death’s door and one close to it. One man had been the abuser of the other, who was a priest. The abuser cried out for help as he knew he was sinful, the priest who was mercilessly abused by that man struggled to get off his bed and shuffle to the abuser. He led him to Christ. That night both of them died. Both would find heaven together.

When compare suffering that is real with perceived suffer we must confess our sinfulness. We are not abused by anything other than dark selfish thoughts.

Lord, have mercy and give us insight into our own sinfulness and grant is the gift of repentance. Amen!

Eternal

“I speak to you an eternal truth: if you embrace my message and believe in the One who sent me, you will never face condemnation. In me, you have already passed from the realm of death into eternal life!” John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬ ‭TPT‬‬

When we receive Jesus and follow His ways (abide in Him) we have passed from eternal judgement into eternal life.

Many are living in eternal judgement in this life and will continue to do so in the next. They have made a choice to reject the Son of God or for those who have not heard the good news, they are caught in eternal judgement unknowingly and they will be judged on how they obeyed their conscience.

When Jesus was praying to the Father in John 17, He said, 

“So with deep love, I pray for my disciples. I’m not asking on behalf of the unbelieving world, but for those who belong to you, those you have given me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭9‬ ‭TPT‬‬

 This is eternal life:

“Eternal life means to know and experience you as the only true God, and to know and experience Jesus Christ, as the Son whom you have sent.”John‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Why would we choose to walk away from eternal life? Why do we think we know best how to live our earthly life? We are deceived of we think this.

I once heard a saying:

I am a spirit, I have a soul (mind, will, intellect) and I live in a body. This sums up who we really are.

Our earthly life is over in a short space of time, whereas our eternal life is endless, as spirits we never die. Choose well where you will spend it as a fire that never goes out is waiting for the demons, Satan and all those who refuse to believe that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only source of life. Amen!

Stay

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Yesterday, I discovered that whilst I can start full of the Spirit I can end in the flesh. After a good time with the Lord and praying strong in the Spirit all the way to church, for 45 minutes, I attended a meeting where the words of my mouth undid me. How can this be?

I realise that areas of my life that are still not victorious, as in complete healing, can be undone by a fleshly comment. The reasons they are not victorious is because of my confession. Without realising it then I continue on in the flesh and miss Godly opportunities. What is the answer?Repentance and a prayer for awareness. 

This morning I came to the Lord and asked for forgiveness, being totally unaware all day yesterday. As I came to the Lord He spoke, ‘My Word will cleanse you!’ I am grateful! However, how can I last so long without the closeness of the Lord? That is a problem.

I had been enjoying the closeness of the Lord so much over the past few days. To think I can walk away from Him shocks me. Oh Lord may I be more aware and insightful! Amen!

Love Slave

“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,”Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In John 14 Jesus told His disciples that He and the Father would make their home with us as we abide in Him. If we have such a treasured relationship with our Saviour and the Father, also being infilled by the Holy Spirit, how can we walk as if they are not relevant and not there?

I am bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus. I am no longer my own I am His! How can I act as if He is irrelevant?!how can I pretend I am in charge? How can I run with the world?

I left my worldly way and am running after Jesus here in Nepal. His adventures are the best! I am His love slave, He is not abusive, He is not unclean, He is pure and beautiful! Amen!