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!