More love

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus said to His disciples: “ a new commandment I give you, you should love one another as I have loved you!”(John 13:34). Elsewhere He said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul was honouring the Philippians because they had done just this. They showed their love in their giving to the ministry of Paul. Their sacrificial giving blessed Paul. He greatly appreciated it and honoured them for it.

A good start to living a pure and blameless life is to support what God is doing, without strings attached. By this I mean giving with an expectation of reward from the recipient. God is our rewarder! 

Yesterday I landed in Australia as a I’ll be here for four weeks. However, I must continue in my generosity, just as my God is generous to me. My finances are not my own but His. Amen!

Training

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I see a lot more muscle-bound young preachers these day. It seems to be a trend as is the growing trend to brandish tattoos. Neither of these speak about what the inside of the man or woman is like, in fact they are glorious covers. They shout: ‘look at me!’

Perhaps this is why the Lord has to shake the tree so the person can see what is really inside. I know we could all attest to having our tree shaken. It gives us a reality check. The Lord is not interested in the outside but rather the inside. Do we love our life or are we willing to surrender it for His will? Does the world rule us or is God our leader and guide?

As a child we were taught a cute song about a doll: ‘are my blue eyes bright, do I look alright to be taken home on Christmas day’. Image is everything. Female preachers seem to have the nails just right, the makeup done well and the right haircut. What does God care? He cares how we treat people, how we respond to His hand, do we love Him with our hearts, souls and minds?

Whilst it is good to care for the temple, the presence in the temple is everything! Amen!

An heir

“So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I see a lot of movies promoted on FB about a rich heir marrying a stranger so as to inherit a fortune. All the movies carry a similar theme. For the Christian we inherit the kingdom of God. It is a kingdom we have not seen with our natural eyes but with our hearts.

We have a Heavenly Father and a brother, Jesus, who made this all possible. To be acceptable we must walk in faith in Jesus for our entry. He said, ‘I am the way!’ The is no other entry point. Nothing I can do will bring this glorious truth and opportunity except humble acceptance that I am not enough for heaven but with Him I am accepted.

I am currently living in a land awash with other gods. None of them lay down their lives for their followers, none paid for their sins, none gave them enlightenment like Jesus. He is the light they all seek. I live by faith in Him and not my own works. I see lovely ladies scurry off each morning with offerings for their god, I worship my Jesus and read His word in my room, I carry Him in my songs, my heart overflows in gratitude to Him.

What a hope I carry!

Love without edges

““The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our God is a God of records. He records all our deads. When we are overcome with guilt for the past He sees us through Christ, not only that He has a record of all the little things that matter to Him. The forgiveness for sin that He gave us is full of love. We cannot comprehend His love in all at once but He pours it out again and again. It is for us to give to others.

I have a Danish friend, when she hugs me I am smothered in a soft pillow of love. I do not want to leave. Awake in the night I prayed to be just like that. There is no hard edges in my beautiful friend. The love of Jesus fills her so full, it is wonderful to behold.

That people would experience the love of Jesus in me without edges, no judgement! My friend knows how to love the least. She gives and gives and gives like there is no tomorrow, yet somehow maintains right boundaries. This country of Nepal needs to know the love of Jesus, without judgement. Amen!

The stranger

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These are things we missionaries have opportunity to do. If we have eyes to see we see the ones who God is wanting to minister to. I live with two Nepali women who I gave a home to, however, I am not the hero, they are. I taught them to use their faith to be able to pay more than 5,000R (a little over $50Au) a month for a home. At first they were fearful but now they are fine. They have showed me what it is like to minister in Nepal. They reach out, go out and give out continually. They love on me and care for me like a mother.

Recently their desire for a bicycle caught my attention. I shared their desire with a friend and she happened to have an old bike for them to try. I organised a helmet and security chain and the smiles, the giggles and joy is enormous. These women are in their 30’s but are loving a bike they never had with such exhuberance. I offered to buy a bike but was told, “wait we might get one for free, some missionaries are going home and have one they don’t need”.

Upstairs are two little boys and downstairs a girl who love to come and play games with us. Fortunately I have a friend who brought many card games from Australia and left them with me. The boys also play in the street with an old soccer ball that is torn and useless. Today I plan to buy them a new one. The little girl has a difficult home life and my heart goes out to her. Our door is open to these little ones.

I have not found the ones in prison yet but I’m sure God knows where they are and He will arrange it all for us. At my Interdenomentarional church we minister to refugees. I have thee I care for. We knock on doors, provide schooling assistance, medical assistance, I’ve help start a business for a tailor and his wife, a job for another and looking to help a third. Refugees face the harshest treatment here in Nepal. They cannot legally work, and if they overstay their visas, which they all do, they accrue a debt to the Nepali government which they can never repay.

Having the Lord’s heart of compassion is where you start. Praying and obeying keeps you in the flow of what He wants you to do with that love. Not loving your life or the things of this world is a must!

May I honour my gracious God wi Th the life He has given me! Amen!

Eternal eyes

“Then the King will turn to those on his right and say, ‘You have a special place in my Father’s heart. Come and experience the full inheritance of the kingdom realm that has been destined for you from before the foundation of the world!”Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭34‬ ‭TPT‬‬

We admire those who finish well. The Lord has a special place for those who finish the race well, a full inheritance of the kingdom. What does that look like? He said, “I must go away and prepare a place for you” (Jn 14:3). Revelation tells us what that place is like. 

“It was infused with the glory of God, and its radiance was like that of a very rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. The city was pure gold, clear as crystal, and its wall was made of jasper. The twelve foundations of the wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone—the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh turquoise, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates are twelve pearls—each gate made of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, clear as crystal.”Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭11‬, ‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭TPT‬‬

At this present time my home country is being smashed with some of the worst weather many have known. People are losing houses, businesses and farms. The damage to motor vehicles is enormous, but how does that compare with what awaits us. 

Jesus said: ““How could you worship two gods at the same time? You will have to hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t worship the true God while enslaved to the god of money!”Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬ ‭TPT‬‬

When we are attached to earthly pleasures we place our delight there. Our God is a jealous God, He wants first place and for those who give Him first place the reward is great. Jesus talked about two builders. One built on rock and the other on sand. He is the rock the world is the sand. We must choose wisely as one gets washed away.

Have eternal eyes! Amen!

The return

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The whole chapter 25 is filled with Jesus’ teaching about His return and what to expect. In chapter 24 He began by prophesying about the destruction of the temple. In chapter 25 He starts with the parable about the wise and foolish virgins and ends with the parable about the landowner who called three servants, and before going away on a long journey gave each an amount of money to invest. Two were wise and one buried what he had claiming his master to be a difficult man. He judges his master and chooses to disobey.

The last section deals with Jesus separating His people into sheep and goats. He arrives with all His angels and in resplendent glory. I think of other times we see a host of angels: the first is when Elisha and his servant are surrounded by the king of Aram and his soldiers. Elisha asks God to open the eye of his servant to see the host of heaven surrounding him in chariots of fire; the next was in the gospel of Luke when the angels came to announce the birth of a Jesus to the shepherds.

This description of the heavens being filled with Jesus’ angels reminds me more of Elisha’s experience. Jesus will return to separate the true followers from the false. This is a scene of authority and judgement.

May I be found with the sheep! Amen!