His yoke

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.11.28-30.NLT

Recently the Lord opened to me a project- to educate children and parents in Sindhulpalchok about trafficking. I was aware that telling the people about trafficking is not enough, I must help solve the poverty in the area. I brain stormed and realised the area produces much bio waste that could be utilised. I went to work to discover what could be done.

I have a plan but unless it is God’s plan it will not prosper. Learning to yoke to the Lord for His rhythm is my challenge. Each day I look for ways to progress in the vision and then talk to my Christian friend who is helping with the project. We plan and pray.

I have just been in hospital with a mini-stroke and am now back at language school. I have many church responsibilities and know I must walk with the Lord and follow His leading. As I have functioned in business my automatic default is my training. However, I do not want to get out of step with the Lord. Yesterday I found myself annoyed with interruptions and had to repent. My annoyance is a sign I am out of step. I want God’s presence and leading in this.

Father please lead me and make me more aware of you today! Amen!

His yoke

“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This lesson I have learned through hard experiences. I have learned to lay down all that I thought I would do, be yoked to Jesus and walk with Him. 

Today I am in Nepal. I gave up home, dog and possessions to follow my Lord into this land. Even in giving up I discovered there was more to learn. I have been stripped of my own abilities to make money, to stay healthy and maintain friends and family. I am now totally dependant on Him.

On the surface you see a woman in her 70s, battling health issues, living on my government pension and praying for restoration of family relationships. However, if you spend time with me you see the fire that burns brightly in my soul and spirit. It consumes me.

I refuse to be captured by sickness. I fight the lies of my enemy with every breath. I manage my money the best I can but pray for God’s abundant provision for His plans. I interceed for family and friends with my whole heart.

Today I start back at language school. It is a five day a week course. Tonight I conduct a bible study, in my spare time I am orchestrating a plan to rescue children from trafficking. This involves education and Lord willing a way for their parents to earn money without selling their children. At my church I oversee the greeting team, I read scripture and involved in prayer. I have been involved in helping refugees however this will soon stop due to the above commitments.

I have been awake since 3am aware of the scripture: ‘take My yoke upon you for my burden is light and my yoke is easy’ (Matthew 11:29). As I choose to wait for His presence I discover His yoke is indeed easy. Amen!

Peace

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”John‬ ‭20‬:‭19‬, ‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Mimagine the fear that the disciples were in and grief. They thought they had lost their Lord and feared that the same people who crucified their Lord would come for them. Now, here was Jesus standing in their midst telling them to not fear!

The disciples had a wrong perspective of f Jesus before the cross. They thought He was going to redeem Israel and defeat the Romans. They expected to rule and reign with Him in authority and here they were in fear hiding, and the resurrected Jesus shows up and tells them not to fear. I imagine there would have been a few accelerated heart rates among them. 

Jesus is saying, “I am sending you as the Father sent me!” They knew what happened to Jesus. I imagine they were excited and fearful at the same time. Their Lord had indeed risen from the dead. What did that mean to them? What would it mean to others who had opposed Him?

The Lord is constantly filling me with vision and boldness. Then leaving me to walk it out. I have just been in hospital with a suspected mini-stroke. I had a battle in the night and determined that Jesus had to heal me and bring me through. He is! Then He visits me with fresh vision. I catch it because I am visionary. I’ve boldly written to people at home for support. I am waiting for a response.
I know I am being sent! I know God has a plan for Nepal and I know I am willing and available. Now I need money, lots of money to build a ministry and a business. If it is GOD he will provide.

Sent

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have come to Nepal in order to learn the language and tell people about Jesus. Whilst I am here I am also determined to help young Nepalis from Sindhulpalchok know about trafficking and work to prevent their lives being destroyed by prostitution. In the process of telling them about the dangers I want to make a way to tell them about Jesus. He is their only safety. However, I will honour the government law against proselytism. 

My church prayed me out to misssions, and when I was last there they gave an offering, for which I was grateful. However, my determination to be independent is wrong and I rob people of joining me in my vision. I need constant prayer and moral support, I need financial support to do the work here. Currently I depend on public transport, however, if I am to go to remote villages I will need a vehicle. Catching buses and taxis are only available at certain hours and to certain places.

My feet need to be blessed!

T

And God said…

“Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These powerful words cut through the darkness, light came into that darkness and it was never the same again. There is power in the words of God!

Jesus said to His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus knew His authority and spoke with that authority imparting Hsi authority to His disciples. We see Jesus in the gospels speaking with authority, people were healed and delivered. We have that same authority.

Remember, light cuts through the darkness! Amen!

Give thanks

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This psalm is a psalm of rememberance. It follows Abraham and his descendants to Egypt and beyond to the promised land. 

We need reminding how faithful God has been to us in the past. It is good to show gratitude for all His deliverances and miracles of provision, to remember His faithfulness instead of complaining about His failure to solve a problem.

Gratitude releases my heart from complaint. It changes my whole perspective about circumstances in my childhood. I no longer remember the bad done to me, but instead my heart is filled with gratitude.

Speaking of God’s faithfulness brings an atmosphere of life into our current circumstances. God’s life changes things. Bring life not death! Amen!

Judgement

“Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Amos is prophesying against Israel. They practised injustice and robbed to poor of justice and expected God to accept their worship. He was not impressed. This was written around 760BC.

How do we Christians regard this? Is a time of judgement coming for us also? Jesu spoke several times about coming judgement. We would be wise to heed Him. What is she seeking?

““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. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭31‬-‭40‬ ‭

Jesus then went on to the judgement of the goats. They did the opposite. They were cast into eternal punishment (v45). 

In this time of great worship services and concerts what is a Jesus looking for? A people who practice justice and mercy. Let this be a sober reminder to us all. Amen!