116. ARE YOU BEING PRUNED. Hebrews 12:10.

You may not agree, but you need to accept that God’s discipline is always good for us! Like His love it always happens at the right place at the right time. So when you are being disciplined, don’t get fearful, rebellious or angry, sit quietly with God, and, like David, ask Him to show you where you went wrong. And when it is revealed to your understanding, repent, and ask for His leading along the right path.. Did you know, that some master gardeners actually talk to their plants? They say, “Because it helps them grow!” Imagine yourself saying “Your such a lovely plant, my word you’re really looking good today, I’m so proud of you.” Now picture yourself talking to the plant you’re pruning and saying “This hurts me more than it hurts you” Whack “You will thank me for this later in the season” Whack “It’s for your own good I’m doing this” Whack. Now picture the plant talking back “You don’t have a heart. You hate me. I’ve worked long and hard to make those roses you have just cut off.” Isn’t that just how we are with God while He prunes us? “Don’t you love me, or care about me any more? Don’t you see what’s going on in my life right now?”..We often think God is mad at us. but, No! He is not mad with us. One of the major mistakes we make is confusing Pruning with punishment. Don’t equate the two of them. God sees you as someone who can bear more fruit, someone with potential for greatness, someone He wants to utilise in a significant way. He wants you to be as fruitful as you can conceivably be. So He prunes you, even lopping off some of the things He has been blessing you with in your spiritual walk with Him. Have you lost the job you enjoyed or a relationship you loved, God may have something better in mind for you. Can you trust Him?...Do you truly believe He is at work in your life? Well, hang in there and remind Him of His Word in (Philippians 1:6) “God who began a good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished.” Hold on to scriptures like that and speak them to Your Lord in your prayer time each day. God uses Problems, pressures and people to prune you and me for greater fruitfulness. Although He doesn’t give problems, He often works in them for our Spiritual growth He can use a major frustration, a broken marriage, a rebellious child, a financial setback, serious illness or the death of a loved one to mould and grow you. You say “But It hurts,” yes, pruning is painful. Sometimes, a gardener prunes a tree until it looks like a Totem pole or a giant toothpick, It’s not a pretty sight, but the pruning process is both positive and necessary. Note this, God does not give problems; but He allows them for a reason, He needs to see how we handle and react to them. Do we consult Him, asking His help or advice acknowledging our own inadequacy or incapability? Or do we seek the advice of others before Him? Because we don’t really trust Him or don’t want to look foolish in front of our friends and neighbours; (Joshua and his army looked a bit foolish walking round the walls of Jericho with no weapons, just a group of singers, some rams horns and a box). Putting God on the back burner or making Him our last resort or port of call instead of our first, are all signs of where He stands in our lives. You need to know this, For our Spiritual life to flourish, it has to conquer our natural life and all its inclinations. This will not happen automatically or overnight, it will take place gradually as you submit your life, Heart and Soul to Jesus Christ. And as that relationship grows, develops and gets deeper you cultivate a strong relationship with God which can only be achieved and sustained by two words “Regular Communication” Whom you regularly communicate with, you will consult, take advice from , and listen to. And if you don’t you get pruned. Why? Because we can’t say one thing and do another, especially with God. We say:--(You are all I Need… Nothing is Impossible with you...You are my Everything.) Don’t say it, sing it or preach it if you don’t mean it . Scripture is very clear about where God must stand in the life of a committed Christian. He must have “First place or No place.” This doesn’t mean we are worthless or not loved by God, No, it just means we are still on the journey, don’t rush it, “He who started a good work in you will continue until it is finished” You and are in His arms, and He is revealing a bit more of Himself to us each day and one day you will find, You can’t live without God because you are wholeheartedly committed to Him. Also this doesn’t mean we are going to get everything we ask for, No! It’s not a bargaining relationship, it’s a love relationship; Because we are committed to Christ we are very special to Him and He will only give us His very best, which sometimes means He has to say “No” Why, because it’s not His very best for us at that time. Sometimes we wont see God’s reasons for not granting our requests, and it might take weeks, months or even years and occasionally not at all in this life. But be sure of this, He can’t give us anything less than His best. Trust Him. He is the Master mind and He will open the windows of Heaven to cover your requests the only way He can. That’s when you will get,... God’s very Best for you. God made us in His image, but, when man fell, He took on the baser characteristics of humanity, Pride , jealousy, impatience, anger etc. The trouble is we tend to impute these characteristics on God and say things like “God must get impatient with us, or God is angry with us” No such thing is true, God loves us so much that those thoughts just wouldn’t enter His mind. Paul tells us “To put on the mind of Christ “ Nowhere in Scripture will you find it the other way around (Christ putting on the mind of man.). No! He has the mind of God; But, in our humanity we tend to relate to God as a Human Being giving Him our Human mindset and characteristics which of course isn’t true. so He wont and can’t get mad with us. In (Romans 8:1) Paul again tells us “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” God does not punish His children. Jesus took our punishment on the cross. God’s pruning is for you and me to be more fruitful like His Son. ‘Can God’s pruning fail to produce?’ Sure, if we don’t work with Him.’How does God produce (Galatians 5:22-23) Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self control in our lives.’ ? He produces these qualities in us by allowing us to face situations and people with exactly the opposite qualities. He teaches us to love by putting us around difficult people. He teaches patience by letting things frustrate us, and kindness when we meet people less blessed than we are. You say “How can I cooperate with God?’ The Bible tells you (1Thesolonians 5:16-18) always be Joyful, Never stop praying, Be thankful in all circumstances, “For this is God’s Will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Thank you for reading these Thoughts on Pruning’ Never pleasant, but always necessary, so it would pay to be a fast learner!! Remember, whatever your initial reaction is to pruning God loves you, and He will do all in His power to maintain good relations with you. So If things are going wrong it’s not His fault!!!...Do something about it. God bless Phaline. --------------------

115. FAITHFULNESS. Proverbs 20:6.

Faithfulness is primarily being honest and up front in your dealings and relationships, first of all with God, then with your fellow human beings; this applies double for Christians. Why? Because Faithfulness is one of the primary marks of identification for a Christian, Once you are identified as a Christian, (perhaps unconsciously) people’s expectation and opinion of you, your talk, character, behaviour, even your dress code, your walk and what you smile and laugh at go up a notch you are, (like it or not) a light in the darkness and under a microscope. Now, we shouldn’t be intimidated, afraid or get upset about this, in fact IF we are living the Christian life, Faithfulness should be natural and automatic for us. That means being transparent in all we say and do, because it’s said and done in the representation and confidence we have as children of Almighty God who said “I will be with you always, even to the end of the world.” It’s an honour and a privilege to be chosen of God, and He has chosen us to be His Sons and Daughters. Think about who you are in Christ, Don’t be ashamed, or try to hide it, stand up and proclaim it to the world by the very faithfulness of the life you live. “How do we do that?” you ask. Answer: Do you work to your full potential at your place of employment. “people are watching you.” A new employee once asked a co-worker “How long have you worked for the company?” The worker replied, “Ever since the Boss threatened to sack me!!.” Seriously speaking, employers have to scramble to find workers who are faithful and dependable... Citizens long for politicians who will faithfully carry out all of their campaign promises... In the marriage ceremony, the newly-weds are asked to be faithful to the vows they make to each other... The truth is, without Faithfulness, your influence will be restricted – or wiped out completely. Without Faithfulness the sum total of all your other wonderful talents will be diluted. Faithfulness turns the mundane into the miraculous and transforms ordinary individuals into dependable achievers. In 1883, after much searching for a motto, the US Marine Corps finally chose a Latin phrase “Semper fidelis” a phrase now engraved on the mind of every US marine? What does it mean, “always faithful” Both words are important, but the most important word is the first one, “always” Because a marine can’t afford to be faithful only when it’s comfortable or convenient or when he feels like it, “Semper fidelis” means you must always be faithful – regardless of the cost. God wants to say the same thing about you and me as is said about Himself in (Lamentations 3:23) “Great is your Faithfulness” So whether you are a boss or an employee, a mother or father ‘or a husband or wife, friend or teammate, always be faithful. That means say what you mean, mean what you say and carry it out to the finish. Wise King Solomon said in (Proverbs 20:6) “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find” Our God and the world need and are looking fort people who are Faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2) Speaking of our earthly priorities says-; “Our first duty is to be Faithful to the one we work for” If we require 100 per cent wages for our hourly work, then we must give 100 per cent of our effort, time and energy to each hour we are employed. Any normal thinking person would agree with that! So the bottom line is, Only your best should be good enough in any situation. Anything less that that will never be good enough, because it reflects your failure to be totally Faithful, reliable, and completely dependable. That’s why the Bible says in (1Corenthians 4:2) “Those who have been given a trust, MUST prove themselves \Faithful”. People are attracted to our faithfulness, God is glorified by our faithfulness, If you are faithful, your words and actions are accepted and appreciated by others. With God Faithfulness isn’t merely a concept or a suggestion, it’s a requirement of all who choose to serve Him. And that includes you and me. There’s a reason why Jesus says “No one goes into battle without first counting the cost” Now, when you go into any kind of ministry for Christ, big or small, that’s a battle. That , tells Satan you are serious about guarding, maintaining and advancing God’s Kingdom here on earth, ie. Faithful to Jesus Chris, So your toughest battles will come from him. Because he knows your Major General is Almighty God Himself and He wont abandon or allow His committed followers to be isolated. You are now a serious contender in his battle for souls. Be aware and prepared for that by dressing in the armour of God each day and praying constantly. When taking on a Ministry you must understand, that although ministry is very rewarding, it is also very demanding and costly, It has to be your first priority, it’s not a 9-5 job, no! it’s 24-7 it will cost you time, money, sleep, effort, energy and all sorts of things you may never have thought of, BUT the blessings you will receive are countless and out weigh that cost. hundreds of times more. Two and a half years ago, I believed God asked me to write this weekly Word; “When God Speaks” for our little church here in this small town in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand, I protested, saying I was inadequate, I was too old, (87), loosing my sight and not clever enough with scripture. But He persisted. So I spoke to my Pastor, and He said “Go ahead, if it’s from God it will last and if not it won’t.” Then I went ahead very tentatively and God has blessed my attempts. Since then I have had a good deal of positive feedback, Then my son suggested I put it on a blog. As a result, people from not only this country but many others in the world are getting the message of Jesus Christ. while I’m doing my bit faithfully each week to fulfil His great commission. God is pouring out His Blessings all over the earth. on people who are carrying out the sane commission in several different ways and The Word is getting out there. all He wants from us in the short time remaining before He returns, are Faithful followers to follow a faithful God. Will you be one of them ? First of all, learn to be faithful in little things, don’t bite off more than you can chew, build your ministry slowly. It doesn’t matter how menial a task it is, If you’re doing it for The Lord, He will bless it. But, without faithfulness all your efforts will fail and you will never be completely successful in any undertaking, you will always be prepared to accept and live with second best, even in your own dealings with people. Being faithful in little things is how dependability begins, grows and matures. Sometimes we think we are too big for small things, we would rather get on with what we perceive as big important mattes, Here is how Jesus sees it; (Luke 16:10-12). “Anyone who can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in important matters. If you cannot be trusted with this world’s wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own?”... If you want to succeed on the job, come to work on time, stick with the job until it’s finished, when you see something that needs to be done, do it even if it’s not in your job description. Give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay; take your designated lunch brake, not a three hour paid holiday; Report your expenses truthfully; Support the team and uphold the company’s reputation. And if there are genuine problems, you should consider speaking out. In other words, be faithful on the job; (Ecclesiastes 9-10) says “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” That is the faithfulness God is looking to honour. It is then, that you will see your relationship with God grow into a ministry for Him and the extension of His Kingdom.. Thank you for reading about “Faithfulness” Start small and see how God blesses and honours you God Bless. Phaline. -------------------------

114. NIGHT-TIME EXPERIENCES (Psalm30:5)

The earth is continually revolving .When it’s light in one hemisphere, it’s dark in the other. While one person is experiencing midnight, another is rejoicing because day brake has finally come. Both people live on the same planet, but in very different places. So when you are having a “Night-time Experience”.If you can just hold on a little longer, Things will change. God has guaranteed it. God works the night shift and He will turn your darkness into light if you just keep trusting Him. Have you noticed in the Bible .the number of significant events that happen at night, or in darkness, here are some examples. “While Adam was sleeping, God reached in and performed surgery on him and made Eve… According to the shepherds, The Baby Jesus was born when the stars were shining brightly…. At midnight, while the other prisoners slept, Paul and Silas sang hymns to God, and He delivered them...When Peter was locked in the inner prison, at Midnight, God sent an Angel to liberate him... When Jesus died on the Cross we read the earth was plunged into darkness.... But, on Easter Sunday the light came on -forever You and I have to expect some night-time experiences. God’s darkroom is where He develops us into the image of Christ. Enduring these experiences is what gives us the credentials to walk out into the daylight, having earned the right to be there. This kind of Faith is tenacious, radical and relentless; When backed into a corner, it stands its’ ground and declares “I’ve lost my job,... the mortgage is overdue... or my symptoms don’t look too good…. But I still believe there is a God who cares about me.” That kind of faith gets results every time! There is a stage at which you don’t even know you have been chosen by God. Only he knows. He told Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 1:5) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” Before you were a beep on the monitor, God had plans for you. The reason you didn’t die on the operating table or in that car accident is because God had different plans for your life. Also He didn’t choose you because you are so virtuous and wonderful, No, He chose what the world thinks is unimportant (1Corinthians 1:28-29) “so that no one can boast or brag” and say “See what I have done with my life” When God created the Heavens and the earth, the Bible says in (Genesis 1:2) “Darkness was over the surface of the deep” Then God spoke again and said (Genesis 1:14:-15) ”Let there be light and it was so” And today God can bring light out of your darkness – That’s where He does some of His greatest work. When you begin to understand, experience and accept Almighty God’s power and authority in your life, you will also begin to see how you are blessed. This is a wonderful stage in your walk with God. Your faith and love for Him gets stronger and deeper as He becomes more accessible, available and approachable to you. Now, when God blesses you, (and He will) get ready for the complainers who think they should have been blessed instead of you – or at least as much as you. When Israel’s twelve tribes disputed about who should lead, God told Moses to have each tribal leader write his name on his staff and place it in the Tabernacle overnight. Then God said in (Numbers.17:5) “The man I have chosen...buds will grow on his rod. Then at last all this murmuring and complaining against you will stop.” Imagine an old stick with no root system or sap, blossoming in the dark where there is no sunshine, fresh air or water!! The truth that we must all get from this word is-: Faith can’t grow without hardships. It must incubate in the darkness of adversity. We have to understand, that It’s in our darkest moments that we really need God, and it’s in those moments when God will make Himself known to each one of us individually. It usually happens when there is no time to have a “Round table” discussion on your depth or quality of Faith. Your own “Gut reaction” will let you know that. It happens when you call out in absolute desperation to Him. in complete submission to His Will... and He answers that heartfelt call for the help which only He can supply. Whether that answer is negative or positive wont matter, why? because you have reached (for a moment in time) the very heart of God, Like Abraham with Isaac You are telling God that He and His Will is more important to you than anything in your life. You will find That kind of faith will bring it’s own reward, because it now becomes a tangible reality and influence in your life, and has put your relationship with God on a new level. You will know beyond any shadow of a doubt that there is a God who knows, hears and cares about your every thought and word; In fact, He cares so deeply for you that He was prepared to let His only Son go through the torture, anguish and horrors of crucifixion just to save YOUR immortal soul (The real you) which will live forever somewhere!! after it has dispensed with your body. Let that somewhere be with Him in the place He has prepared for you in Heaven. You alone can make that commitment and decision for God. Thank you for reading about “Night time experiences” we all have them. They are sent for a reason. (To get us closer to God.) So don’t ignore them. Make your decision for Jesus Christ now. Talk to your Pastor or a senior member of your church and become a true follower of Jesus who is the only Truth, life and way to God. God bless. Phaline ----------------------

113.WE NEED CONNECTEDNESS. Genesis 2:18.

At Creation, God looked at all He had done and said, “That’s Good” Then there came a time when He realised man was lonely, unfulfilled and incomplete. Next we read in (Genesis 2:18) “He said ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ And He made Eve the first woman”. None of us can develop to our fullest potential unless we are plugged into nurturing, ie Life-giving relationships. Here is an example; In “The 12 step-recovery programme” the counsellor only does 10 per cent of the work by offering guidance. 90 per cent of the recovery process takes place because the people in the group, challenge, comfort and strengthen one another. We are shaped by people! The right people help you to become the best person of yourself that you can be, and you do the same for them. They see the YOU that you can’t see at times, they cheer you on as you move forward, and they “get in your face” when you falter. The highest form of this relationship is referred to in Scripture as ‘The fellowship of the Spirit’ It’s not just a social, relational or intellectual connection, but a deep spiritual link that causes us to thrive,. It’s like the difference between bees and butterflies. Butterflies cover more territory, but Bees gather more honey. Why? Because they don’t just land on a flower briefly, they stay there and extract the life-giving nectar, In Bible times, God gave David the gift of a Jonathan, and Naomi the gift of a Ruth. Paul had Timothy And God has people He would like you and me to meet as well. We need to talk to Him today about that. It’s important. When you read the story of the New Testament Church, you can easily get caught up in their explosive growth and amazing miracles, but there is a component you shouldn’t miss; In (Acts 4:32-35) we read, “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had...There were no needy persons among them...Those who owned land or houses sold it. And it was distributed to anyone who had need,” We say “If I just had a bit more money we’d be happy.” Well, we might feel more secure and have fewer worries, but we wouldn’t necessarily be happy. In ‘The journal of Happiness Studies’ a researcher looked at what distinguished quite happy people from less happy people. One factor consistently separated those two groups. It’s not about how much money you have; It’s not about your Health, security, attractiveness or I.Q. or your career success. What distinguished consistently happy people was the presence of rich, deep Joy-producing, life-changing, Meaningful relationships. Social researcher Robert Putman writes: “The single most common finding from a half century’s research on life satisfaction around the world is best predicated by the breadth and depth of one’s social connections. “You might like to read that last sentence again.” You See, you can know a lot of people but not really be known by them, and still be lonely. The people in the New Testament Church got it right; It’s in sharing with one another spiritually, emotionally, financially and relationally that you receive your highest level of joy. Of course, this will not happen overnight, it will take time, effort and lots of prayer: But, when God blesses these relationships it really is a wonderful blessing. Paul writes in:- (Romans 12:3-8) “Just as there are many parts in our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it and it takes everyone of us to make it complete .So we belong to each other, and like it or not, each of us need all the others. Like the body, God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then prophesy whenever you can – as often as your Faith is strong enough to receive a message from God. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If you are a preacher, see to it that your sermons are strong and helpful. If God has given you money, be generous by helping others with it. If God has given you administrative ability and put you in charge of the work of others, take your responsibility seriously. Those who offer comfort to the sorrowing should do it with a caring heart. Unhappiness can often begin with the absence of connection. It’s not by having a mobile phone with lots of numbers on it; It’s in sharing your life with those who live for causes greater than themselves. “Where and how should I start?” I hear you say, By visiting a lonely, forgotten person in a nursing home. By volunteering to work in a food bank one or two days a week. By saying to your Pastor “Please give me a job that involves helping others. These are small jobs, but you’ll be surprised how they enrich your life, and the doors that will be opened to you as your faithfulness, your dependability and trust is made clear to others. People will want to follow you when they see the results of your gift of love. That’s how people like Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Brother Francis,Vincent de Paul and many, many others started out. Just by one person who was prepared to do God’s Will in little things and wait patiently for Him to lift them up, and even if you don’t get to the lofty highs of some of them, you will know that whatever happens in this life you have lived it in the Will and purposes of God. And that will be enough. Thank you for reading this word on getting and remaining connected. God has only one body and we are it, so stay connected and bring others to join us in “The Body of Christ.” God bless Phaline. ---------------------------