137. WHEN GOD SPEAKS. FAITH, CONFESSION, COMMITMENT Mark11:22-23.

Jesus taught us that when we speak His Word in Faith, we will have whatever we say. That’s a powerful Faith, which requires a wholehearted commitment to God and ALL He stands for: Before you go any further, think about the depth of your commitment to God, that is the key that will open the heart of God when you speak God’s living Word over your situation. It’s like flipping a switch, His power is activated and His promises start coming to pass in your life through Faith, Confession and Commitment. So every morning,Comet each day by speaking the following Scriptures over your life. (1.) Psalm118:24“Confession: “This is the day the Lord has made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Faith: Lord thank you for the gift of this day. I will celebrate your goodness and enjoy every moment of it. (2) Lamentations: 3:22-23) Confession:. “His compassion fails not. They are new every morning: Great is your faithfulness.” Faith: Lord to day I will seek to honour you in all that I do, And if I fail and fall short, I will still walk in your mercy and grace. (3) Isaiah 50:4. Confession; ”The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” Faith: Lord that I will know what to say, because you have instructed me and given me the tongue of the learned (4) Judges 4:14 “ Confession: “This is the day in which The Lord has delivered (your enemy) into your hands has not The Lord gone out before you.”Faith: Lord regardless of what comes my way today, you will defend and vindicate me. So this day I will walk in your joy, favour, mercy, Blessings guidance and protection. When you confess words of Faith over your life, based on the Scriptures, (see Mark 11:23) Jesus taught that you will “have whatever (you) say.” So be very careful what you say, I believe we should always bracket our requests with “Thy will be done” remembering that for all circumstances and conditions God knows what we don’t know, and can do what we can’t do. So once again, trust and obey seems to be the order of the day David refers to God’s blessings as ‘benefits’ And says in (Psalm 68:19) that God “Daily loads us up with benefits” the word loads means truckloads! God is willing, wanting and waiting to give you benefits to-day. , that’s why the psalmist writes in (psalm 102:2-6 8, 10-14, 17) “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed...The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in mercy… He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Father pities those who fear him, For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust...But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to His children’s children”, You activate the power of God’s Word when you speak it over your life and that of your family. Why is that? Because there is nothing or nobody greater than the Word of God. Nowhere was His Word demonstrated more powerfully than in His work of creation (see Genesis 1.) and when your faith, confession, commitment and God’s power get together great things happen. We know and believe there’s nothing wrong with the power-source, so if there’s a discrepancy, it must be with our faith, confession or commitment. Even then our God is helping us out via (James 4:2) “ You don’t get, because you don’t ask, and when you do ask you don’t have right motives” Faith requires confidence in whom you are believing, also knowledge, Trust and acceptance of His Word. That means:--He will do for you what is in your best interest. Not necessarily what you are asking for. In the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked His Father to remove the cup of His forthcoming passion and death, The Father didn’t do it, Why? Because it wouldn’t have served the purpose of our Salvation. Jesus had to die that terrible death and glorious Resurrection not just to fulfil the Scriptures, but to regain our relationship and status with God thus qualifying us to be citizens of Heaven and live with Him forever. Know and remember this:- God never does anything to hurt you, Whatever he does is for your benefit, yes it may cause you a bit of pain, discontent or discomfort for a short time, but that will pass, and you will see in the pursuing joy and happiness why that discomfort etc. was necessary. It’s a bit like a child having an injection and following it up with a sweet. Not nice but necessary. Thank you for reading my thoughts on:- “Faith, Confession and Commitment.” Once again three in one, all three are necessary. It’s interesting to note why Miracles are so prevalent in poorer countries, I believe it’s because they have no money, little or no medical help and limited education. So they rely on God, there is nobody else, thus their Faith, confession and commitment to God grows. And they learn to love, trust and understand this God who is so good to them, He fulfils their needs. God Bless. Phaline. ----------------------------------

136: BRING OTHERS TO JESUS Acts 8:6

An American football team was coached by a man named Vince Lombard, he led the ‘Green Bay Packers’ to victory after victory, but one day they lost to a team they should have easily defeated. Though disappointed, Lombard gathered his team together. Then putting his hand in to the bag he was carrying and with his inimitable smile, brought out a football and said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” So what was he really saying to his team? “Get back to basics.” The captain of (our) Salvation is Jesus and before He went back to heaven He gave us the game plan. (Acts1:8) “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Now, since a person’s last words are some of the most important ones they want to leave with us, they lead us to ask this question. To whom was Jesus speaking? “You and I” You shall… be witness to me.” There are people around today who will never go to church. Their only chance of hearing the gospel is through you or me. Through what our lips declare and what our lives demonstrates. So, what is this power Jesus spoke of? The Greek word for “power’ is Dynamos, from which we get the words dynamite or dynamic.(huge) Dynamite is a huge explosive force, which when properly harnessed or exploded can remove any obstacle that stands in its way,. You may say “I don’t have that power, I have never been to Bible College, and I don’t feel qualified to share the gospel so dynamically” Remember this , God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called by filling them with HIS Spirit and power (Dynamos). To day you and I , are being called to minister God’s “Dynamos.” to His Careless, Disobedient, Broken and Hurting world. Are you a Serious Christian? Do you truly belong to God and believe that He loves us so deeply that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for your sins and rose from the dead three days later; thus giving you entrance into eternal life and His everlasting Kingdom? Is Jesus and His will the base-line of your every conviction and conversation? Is your faith in God the most precious possession you haves So precious in fact, that you can’t help speaking about various aspects of your relationship with Him to everyone you meet, not only about it, but how they too can have this relationship with Jesus? Do all the people you know, know that you are a Follower of Jesus Christ and why? Do people know they can come to you in times of trouble or heartache, not just for sympathy and consolation but in and for true confidence and trustworthy advice? Are you approachable, and a reliable prayer? A real Christian will develop and maintain these qualities because they are visible signs that we love God and our neighbour; And isn’t that what Jesus told the Young man who asked the question “What should I do to gain eternal life?” To day, the church of Jesus Christ (as I see it) has only two options; evangelise or fossilise. When the church (that’s us) fails to share its faith with those outsiders, it either ends up in a holding pattern or in death throes. Sounds dramatic, but read on; The New Testament church’s growth is described in these words from (Acts 2:47) “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Not only did they influence every level of society, but their enemies said of them (Acts 17:6) “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too..” Here’s a question, If your church closed it’s doors tomorrow, would anyone other than your congregation notice the difference? Think about this; Why don’t we share the Gospel more readily? 1. Lack of opportunity:Answer: Make the opportunity, change the topic of conversation. 2. I’m too shy; Answer, Get over it, say a prayer and ask for Holy Spirit help. 3. Afraid I will be ridiculed or laughed at. Answer, Try another question like- “What will happen to you when you die? Or have you ever thought about Heaven and Hell? Start a discussion, even if people don’t appear to want to talk about it, it will start them thinking. Think now about those early believers, their assignment seemed geographically impossible; How were they to reach people in far off places? They had no air travel, radio, television, printing presses, internet, or any of our other modern technologies at their disposal for communicating the gospel. It seemed legally impossible. Because, the Government authorities forbade them to speak in Jesus’ name. And it also appeared socially impossible; After all, who would really listen to a bunch of Galilean fisherman devoid of culture and class? Yet they were witnesses through the power of the Holy Spirit and people did listen to them. They did so much with so little, How? Because they understood, accepted, relied on and used the Holy Spirit Power which Jesus had promised them; You too have this same Holy Spirit Power if you trust God and allow His Spirit to speak and act through you. .Surely we can do more than we are doing to get the Name, Character and Power of God in to this beautiful country of ours. Please pray about this, asking God to give us not just the ability, but the willingness to step out and use the Holy Spirit Power that He has given us to accomplish His Will. It is reckoned that if just 10 percent of the members of the average church to-day got serious about evangelism, their church attendance would double in just one year. By the way the word translated “witness” is the same word from which we get our English word “Martyr”. I thought I’d drop that in, so You can measure your own faith and see how much you really do love The Lord. In the light of recent happenings, not only in America, England, Europe and the Middle east but even down here in the South Pacific, the situation is getting very serious Jesus warned us it would, and said “Don’t go into battle without counting and understanding the cost. Those early believers reached the world for Christ knowing it could cost them their lives, but they were willing to get off the fence and devote their lives to His cause by following Christ’s call; Are we ready to do the same? This is the time to make your decision, not when the enemy is knocking at your door. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “Bringing others to Christ.” I know it isn’t easy and sometimes you have to bare your own soul in the process, but, I believe with The Spirit’s Power, our efforts will not go unrewarded. JESUS is the best and most precious gift you can give to anyone and they will thank you for it through all eternity. Remember Jesus died for you, because He loved you and He rose again three days later. then went to Heaven to make a place for us to be with Him forever. Trust His promise, “I will NEVER leave you or forsake you”. God Bless. Phaline.

135. IS ANXIETY YOUR PROBLEM? 1 Peter 5:7

Anxiety is excessive concern and if left unchecked, robs you of your confidence, joy, peace, humour and perspective. Anxiety comes from obsessing over something; trying to figure out what happened, needing to understand what people are thinking or trying to decide what to do. In (Proverbs 3:5-6) we read “Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Trust requires living with unanswered questions, accepting that God knows what you don’t. You and I will never have perfect knowledge or have all the answers to every question. Well not in this world anyway! Even Paul acknowledged this when he wrote 1Corenthians 13:9 “we know in part.” The cure for Anxiety may involve the help of a Doctor or medical professional, but it begins with understanding 1. that God knows all things, 2. that He is never surprised, and 3. that He is never without a solution. So here are your options, Carry the burden yourself or cast them on The Lord. When reading (1 Peter 5:7) Note the word ALL that means: ALL your cares, ALL your worries, ALL your anxieties and All your concerns once and for all cast on Him, for He cares about you with the deepest affection and watches over you every moment of the day. Learning to live this way takes patience and practise, so don’t expect an overnight miracle. The secret is giving your Anxiety to God one more time than you take it back. Learn to catch yourself in the act. When anxiety comes, say “Lord this is not my problem, it’s yours, so I’m turning it over to you.” Just try it for a month and see what happens. Hannah Whitehall Smith told a story that took place a hundred years ago, yet it’s as relevant today as tomorrows news. A farmer in a horse and cart noticed a man walking along the road with a heavy sack on his back, so he offered him a ride. The stranger accepted and climbed aboard. But as they proceeded the farmer noticed the stranger was still bent down under the load of his sack, and said to him “Why don’t you put the sack down?” to which the stranger replied, “That would be to much to ask, I am grateful that you’re carrying me, I can’t expect you to carry the sack too. That’s what we do when we accept God’s offer of Salvation but insist on carrying all our own burdens. (Psalm 55:22) says “Cast all your burdens on The Lord (release them) and He will sustain and uphold you.” God wont begin working on your problem, until you turn it over to Him. He gets involved when He gets invited. We often wait till we are falling apart, then wonder why He hasn’t helped. In (James 4:2) we read, ”You don’t get because you don’t ask” Have you asked God for help? Have you placed the problem in His hands, confident that He will work it out for your good, patiently waiting for Him to come through with the solution? This doesn’t mean that you sit around passively doing nothing. You need to do what you believe is right and have peace about doing so. Learn the difference between your part and God’s part and stop frustrating yourself by trying to do what God only can do. It’s good to have a goal for the future, and a plan for achieving it. But it’s not good to project into the future and then worry about all that can go wrong. That’s anxiety and should have no place in the mind of a redeemed child of God. If any part of your plans are wrong God will change situations or circumstances as need be. Just trust Him. (Matthew 6:31-34) reads “Do not worry or be anxious about anything saying ‘What will we eat? or what will we drink? or what will we wear? ’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek after these things; Your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But, seek first The Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own.” Those Scriptures can be reduced to one line; ‘Live trusting God each day to take care of you, and stop projecting in to the future. Each morning God gave the Israelites a one-day supply of food. If they tried to gather more, it rotted; God’s message was simple. “Each day I will guide and provide for you.” Anxiety can consume you. So when you feel anxious, stand on this Scripture;(Lamentations 3:22-23) “It is because of the Lord’s loving kindness that we are not consumed, because His (tender) compassion never fails it is new every morning, great and beyond measure is your faithfulness.” When you start worrying about the future, recall some of the things that God has all ready brought you through. Situations when and where you never thought you would survive, But He caused you to thrive? Nothing can separate you from His love, see (Romans 8:38-39) But your anxieties can rob you of the security which His love brings. One writer said I was the kind of person who wanted to understand everything because it made me feel I was in control. I was not good at “Not knowing” my mind went on and on all day with thoughts like, Why did I act like that? I wonder what so-and-so is thinking about my decision to buy a new car? Why hasn’t God answered my prayer yet for a promotion at work? I wonder if I am doing something wrong or have enough faith? The “Whys” in my mind seemed to never cease, and that made me miserable. My mind was becoming a home for all sorts of uninvited guests (tormenting thoughts) simply because I never said “No” to them. I wondered, reasoned, fretted, worried and imagined, to the point where it left me completely exhausted. God actually showed me that I was addicted to reasoning everything out, and I had to give it up. It didn’t happen overnight but each time I started my mental gymnastics, I said out loud “I will not try to figure this out.” And gradually I was able to trust God with my life” To day, right now, God wants to be your Guide, your adviser, your provider and your protector; In fact your all in all. So stand on His Word which His Prophets have given us like this one from (Isaiah 25:4) “You are a strength to the needy in his distress.” Don’t live with anxiety, it’s not good for your Soul or your Body: And it will keep you from trusting in God who has done so much for you. Thank you for reading these thoughts on dispensing with Anxiety. It’s a tool Satan will use to make you not only distrust God, but People too. You will end up being a very lonely, isolated, friendless person whom he (Satan) can manipulate to his advantage. Don’t let that happen. Deal with it NOW. God Bless. Phaline

134. GET WISDOM. 2 Chronicles 1:10

When King Solomon ascended to the throne, God said to him, (See 2 Chronicles 1:7) “Ask, what shall I give you” Imagine that! Solomon was given ‘carte blanch’ by the one whose dictionary did not contain the word ‘impossible’ But there was a catch! God was testing Solomon to find out what was really in his heart. An arrogant person would have asked for fame. A worldly person would have asked for wealth. A self-seeking person would have asked for power. What did Solomon ask God for? What would you ask God for if you were given the same option? (2 Chronicles 1:10) Solomon replied “Oh God, now give me wisdom.” So God granted Solomon’s request and gave him something more gratifying than fame, more extravagant than wealth, and more thrilling than power. As it turned out all the material blessings Solomon enjoyed were by-products of the gift of wisdom. An anonymous thinker wrote: Tell me your dreams, and I will tell you the riddle of your life.. Tell me your prayers , and I will write the history of your soul. Tell me your askings, and I will tell you your gettings. Tell me what you seek, and l will tell you what you are... I do not wish to know your possessions… only your wants. I do not care to know what you have, only your have-not and your desire to have. Not your attainments, but what you have not yet attained and follow after: That which comes to you in your victories by day and your dreams by night, the ideal you set before you, the things you approve as excellent, what you seek after, and have given your heart to. These are the measure of a man.” So pray for Wisdom. When King Solomon asked for Wisdom instead of power, fame or riches, God told him, “ You could have asked me to make you rich, famous or powerful To let you live a long time, or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed instead, you asked for Wisdom and Knowledge to rule my people. So I will make you wise and intelligent. But, I will make you richer and more famous than any king before or after you.” (2 Chronicles 1:11-12) Did God keep His promise? Well consider this, What would you get if you crossed Micky Mouse, an Oil magnet, the leader of a Super-power nation and Socrates? Answer, s The most famous, richest, most powerful wisest person on the planet. That’s a fitting description of King Solomon at that time. He ruled the worlds greatest Empire. His merchant ships plied the seas, bringing him back the treasures of the known world. He designed and built some of the most important buildings ever to be seen, including the Temple. He constructed reservoirs, vineyards parks and gardens. He mastered commerce, science and literature. He became a Poet Laureate, a distinguished writer and gifted musician. He learned the incredible worth of Wisdom, enjoyed all its benefits and wrote: (Proverbs 8:10-11) Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver and the finest gold. Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you may desire.” There are thirty one chapters in the book of Proverbs, by reading one chapter a day, you will have made a start on your road to Wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God which we are all going to need in the months and years ahead. So pray for it and become wise. Why does the Bible talk so much of Solomon’s Wisdom? I believe it’s NOT Human wisdom raised to a spiritual height, but Spiritual wisdom lowered to a human understanding. Solomon, the wisest man in the world said in (Proverbs 4;6-8) “The beginning of Wisdom is this: get Wisdom, though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you.; Embrace her and she will honour you.”Along these lines, Haydon Robinson observes and I quote: ”Since 1955, knowledge has doubled every five years”. High school students today have been exposed to more information about the world than Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza and Benjamin Franklin. In terms of facts alone, neither Moses nor Paul could pass a college entrance exam today. Yet by everyone’s standards and even with all our knowledge, society today is peopled with a bumper crop of brilliant failures, men and women educated to earn a living don’t know anything about handling life itself. Alumni from noted universities have mastered information on a narrow slice of life but couldn’t make it out of first grade when it comes to living successfully with family and friends. Let’s face it. Knowledge is not enough to meet life’s problems. We need wisdom, the ability to handle life with skill. Spurgeon once said, “There is no fool so great as a knowing fool” however, to know how to use knowledge we need to have wisdom. Bottom Line. The more knowledge you’re exposed to, the more you need to pray for wisdom. Here is a time-tested and proven formula for obtaining Wisdom:-1 Acknowledge that you need it. Benjamin Franklin once said “The doorstep to the temple of knowledge is a knowledge of your own ignorance.” 2. Go to the right source. (Proverbs 2;6) says”The Lord gives wisdom” He alone, because He alone has true wisdom. Indeed, His wisdom makes ours look like foolishness. And in (1Corinthians 1-25) just think about this, if God were capable of one stupid thought, which he’s not, it would still be wiser then the wisest thought we could ever have. 3. Ask for it, God doesn’t hoard His wisdom, He is ready to give it away. Again in (Proverbs 2;3-6) Solomon says “If you call out for insight...cry aloud for understanding...look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of The Lord and find the knowledge of God. For The Lord gives wisdom, From His mouth comes knowledge and Understanding. Finally from James we read (James1:5-8) “If anyone needs Wisdom, he should ask God. And it will be given to you. God is generous and wont correct you for asking. But when you ask, you must have faith and not doubt. For anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed about by a storm. If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted, so don’t expect The Lord to give you anything at all.” So each day pray for Spiritual Wisdom which comes from God alone. Thank you for reading these words on getting Spiritual Wisdom. Ask and trust God for it. We truly need it in to-days world where there are so few people we can trust for the truth. God bless. Phaline.

133. GROW OLDER FULL OF GRACE. Proverbs 10:27.

Does the thought of ageing make you anxious? If so this is for you, from one who has been there, done that and picked up a few clues on the way. I was and still am reasonably healthy, and still the years keep falling away with constant regularity, producing a few more wrinkles, requiring more time to do simple chores, and more rest periods. Not being one to accept the inevitable gracefully, I decided all this needed addressing. So I decided to re-examine my value system. To me this meant talking to God about it. We all know that with Him the contents are more important than the package. And in order to make peace with our increasing wrinkles, time-costly chores and prolonged rest periods, we must first come in to agreement with God. Ultimately Da! I woke up,! and I believe God put in my heart, that “it’s not the number of days in our lives that count but the quality of life in our days that matter” I pondered this for a while and came up with the following:-- Jesus’ first miracle was turning water in to wine. Note what the Host of the wedding reception said (John 2:10) “Everyone brings out the choice wine first...but you have saved the best till now” And that can be the story of yours and my life too. We don’t have to suffer from “Gerascophobia”, the fear of ageing. Keep fighting, keep growing, keep moving forward. Read the words of Caleb “For my part, I wholeheartedly followed The Lord my God. Moses solemnly promised me, the land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendents forever… Now as you can see,The Lord has kept me alive and well as He promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise - even while Israel wondered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the Hill Country that The Lord promised me.” And in (Joshua 14:-13) we read “Joshua blessed Caleb… and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land “ That’s called growing older under God’s grace. Your portion of grace is there, God promised it to you, find it, claim it and use it; and forget about the wrinkles, chores etc. You are heading for a new season. He’s kept the best wine for last. GREAT. By the year2030, one in five of us will be seventy years of age or older, that’s about 20 per cent of the worlds population. Millions of us will live to be100 or more. When asked at his Birthday party how he felt about turning 80, President Dwight D Eisenhower replied, “It sure does beat the alternative.”!!! Anita Bogan died in 2007 at the ripe old age of 106. Her Obituary in the Los Angeles times read “Blessed with good health and a sound mind, Anita spent most of her old age doing what she wanted to do, with a feisty, “What’s age got-to-do-with it” attitude. In the decades following her 80th year, she created a non-profit foundation to build senior housing...Opened a flower shop...played golf daily… took cruses to celebrate her birthdays and inspired many people. On her 100th Birthday The Kern County Board declared an “Anita Bogan Day” By her attitude to life Anita changed the way people around her viewed their attitude to ageing. In (Proverbs 3:1-2) The Bible doesn’t just promise long life, it promises quality life. “My Son do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.” And in (Proverbs 9:10-11) we read “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.” The secret of enjoying the process of an ageing life is to build and develop a close relationship with God and live according to His principles. This is not difficult if you keep your Bible handy, it has the answer to all your questions. The tent has to go, and the Soul must appear before God, So we count old age as the blessing it is intended to be thanking God for giving us the extra time to know Him more clearly, follow Him more closely and love Him more dearly. It’s then that the anxiety of approaching senior years and yes, even death will fade. I am not saying it will be a bed of roses, and even if it is for some of us, it’s worth keeping in mind ... roses have thorns. so tread carefully, by preparing and catering for your impending losses at least some of which You will have to accept and deal with, eg. lack of:- strength, Sight, hearing, taste, smell, memory etc. But you will never loose your ability to love and be loved and the more you use and cultivate these virtues and attributes the more help will come your way. You see, there are two ways to handle this inevitable stage in life, we can get bitter, twisted and resentful, or we can handle it God’s way. Which is much more acceptable to you and those around you. It takes a bit of humility, But the end result is worth it. And people love you more for it. Thank you for reading these few words on “Ageing Gracefully” We are nearly there and the strong, loving open arms of Our God and Father are waiting for us God bless. Phaline. ------------------------------------

132. BE VERY CAREFUL. 1 Corinthians 10:12.

Life is a series of choices, and and some of these choices become battles. Battles of conscience verses freedom. “I am who I am, so why can’t I do as I please. I’m a strong Christian, I go to church most weeks, I tithe regularly, sing in the choir and even read my Bible. most days” In (1Corinthians 10:12) we read “If you think you’re standing firm be careful that you don’t fall.” What does that mean? It doesn’t mean that we can deliberately choose to do as we please, No, It means that we are often prone to think we are better than we really are; but, Scripture tells us, “no one is good, not even one.” and again Paul tells us, (Paraphrased) “The things that we are doing, are right, but they are what we should be doing anyway.” so, although doing what God requires of us, pleases Him, it does not qualify you or me for The Grace of God which has brought us into His Kingdom; in fact, It’s the other way around. It’s God’s Grace alone that has qualified us for being in His Kingdom. There is absolutely nothing that you or I have done, can do or will ever be able to do, that will qualify us for being a member of God’s Kingdom. It is by His Grace and His Grace alone that we are where we are to day with God. He chose you and me, He put His finger on us even before we were born. Now, one of the ways of staying in God’s Kingdom is that we have to be very aware of Satan’s wilds and ways, because his greatest ambition is to get us out of there. And he will use any means he can to do that. These wilds and ways usually consist not only of lies and half-truths, but of sweet temptations, which appear to be quite harmless and innocent ideas, but will compromise our value system or conscience just a little bit. and we think it’s not worth getting into a tizzy over so , we let it go. But in letting it go, you let it grow and pretty soon you have big situations on your plate that you hadn’t planned on and you certainly don’t know where they’ve come from. That’s when you find you are in a ”Battle” with Satan. which you are not sure you are strong enough to deal with. When this happens, (and it will) don’t panic, get upset or intimidated pray and ask for God’s Holy Spirit help and watch Him take over your case. You will find there are three crucial parts in every battle, and the easiest part is sometimes the fight itself. Then it is the period of indecision just before the conflict – Whether to stand and fight, or run away.- is often difficult. But by far the most dangerous period of a Battle is the aftermath. After you have reached your goals and are celebrating your victories.. With your resources spent and your guard down, you need to watch for things like overconfidence, dulled reactions and and faulty judgement. Do you remember David’s story? (2 Samuel 1-4) In the Spring of the year, at the time when Kings go out to battle…David remained at Jerusalem. Why? Who knows “Angry, Lazy or tired. (first little temptation) Then it \happened... Satan saw his opportunity and jumped right in; he caused David to see a woman bathing, then the king sent messengers and took her. Pay attention to the phrase “Then it happened.” David chose to stay home rather than go to battle Why? He hadn’t seen Bathsheba yet, but Satan knew where David should have been so he was ready to take advantage of any situation that may present itself and he was delighted to find one. Even Bathsheba didn’t know. She would have seen all the troops marching off to war and decided quite innocently to go have a bath in comparative safety. But No. somebody was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And in that short period of time David got soft, careless or arrogant. It was only a brief affair, but it changed everything, His peace vanished, his character was ruined and his family life was destroyed. Don’t fall prey to the perils of past victories. Keep in mind this H.A.L.T. sign. When you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. You are in a vulnerable place and need to be extra careful. Resting on your laurels is synonymous with flirting with potential disaster. “Trouble awaits the man or woman who dwells in the land of comfort and accomplished dreams. SO take a bit of advice and keep the H.A.L.T. rule. Or as my Dad used to say “Never sign important documents at night, in fact if you can, wait 24 hours before signing and talk to God about it and give Him a chance to reply. Thank you for once again reading my thoughts on this matter. May the Spirit be your guiding light. God Bless. Phaline. ----------------------

131. LONELINESS. Psalm102:7.

Loneliness is often self inflicted, caused by people who, at the start of their oneness don’t want to share their grief or hurt with anyone for fear of being unable to express themselves adequately, or, being misunderstood if they did. Loosing someone who has been very dear to us is one of the most heart wrenching experience known to man. Husbands, wives children, siblings and friends we have loved and lived with for years are now gone – Where? Yes, we still have our faith in God, And yes, He has every right, and yes, He has His very good reasons. But “I’m Hurting.” So I’ll sit here on my own and await my turn. And When people come with their Bible readings and Christian platitudes, to help us get over our loss, we are sometimes not impressed, and want to say to them,”NO! I am not Abraham or Sarah, I don’t want to give up my loved one, not even to God.” The problem is that becomes our comfort zone, though understandable, it is not very comfortable at all. And the longer we sit there, the harder it will be to get out of. That's when loneliness starts settling in and we begin to think nobody cares. I would think divorce must be very similar, especially for the innocent party, or if it was unexpected; in such cases there would be feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness and deep hurt which would be very demoralising and difficult to cope with. I am not a councillor in these matters, but, being nearly ninety years of age I have had the experience of seeing God take both my parents, three brothers, a husband, two miscarriages a son and several very dear friends.. So, I have that first-hand experience, and can only speak from that perspective. I know everyone is different, and everyone experiences heart wrenching sorrow at these times, but, these are also times when your journey with God can (if you let it) take a giant leap forward. At first you are made aware that you can’t do anything more for Him/Her, so you have to turn to the only one who can meet their (and your own) needs as well. Almighty God is your only avenue. So let Him have the full force of your grief, yell and scream, stamp your feet, cry until your tears run out. Like Mary and Martha say “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” Why, Why, Why MY loved one. I’ve been a good Christian, I trusted you, I’ve tried so hard and you’ve let me down. Eventually, when your pillow is wet with tears and you drift into deep exhaustion and sleep comes, only to be woken by the stark reality of your current situation. And it all starts over again. This may occur for a few days but, for the Christian, I believe this is the point of submission, where you come to God on your knees, acknowledge Him for who He is and make your peace with Him. You will be very vulnerable and once again tears will flow, but the presence of God will be very real to you. Cherish these moments. Drink and consume the depth of love that God is pouring down on you; that’s the only true medication that will work. Only then will you be able to understand and accept. The WHY? That plagues your heart and mind. He really does know and care about what’s going on in our lives at these deep-hurt situations. ..And one day we will understand. There was a day in December 1998 when Wolfgang Dircks a divorced disabled loaner, was found deceased in his apartment in Bonn, Germany, – five years after he died. He was 43 and died watching television. Neighbours didn’t notice his absence. His Landlord came by after the bank account from which his rent was paid dried up. A TV schedule was still sitting on the lap of Dirck’s skeleton and was open to the page of the 5th of December of 1993. - The apparent date of his death. The TV had long since stopped in the on position, but the lights on the 1993 Christmas Tree were still glowing When God created us, God said, in (Genesis 2:18) “It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper Comparable to himself.” You were created to be in relationship. You don’t have to accept Loneliness as your destiny. Instead, take look at these suggestions : 1. Find a need and meet it. Often loneliness is not the absence of people, but that of purpose. Show a genuine interest in others, Resist making your own issues and worries the topic of every conversation. In (Philippians 2:3-4) Paul tells us “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit Rather, in humility, value others before yourself, not looking to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” 2. Be generous with your time, talents and resources. Not everyone will accept what you offer, but some will, pray for guidance and keep reaching out. Remember what God says in (Isaiah 43:4) “To me you are very dear, and I love you. So what’s the best way to deal with “Loneliness” (1) Learn to be alone without feeling lonely. Jesus often left the crowed to be alone with His Father in prayer. Why? Because He knew that solitude is essential for spiritual growth, and He came back from those encounters personally enriched and better equipped to deal with the challenges of life that day. In (Genesis 32:24) we read “Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till the breaking of day.” Out of Jacob’s time alone with God came a man with a new name, a new nature, a new walk and a new future Plus, when people realise you can enjoy being alone and doing an activity alone, they are attracted by your strength independence and confidence. (2) Reject the idea that you can’t live without that certain person in your life. God is the only person you must have, and in (Hebrews 13:5 you will find that He has promised to always stay with you. Sometimes people fall into depression after the death of someone they love because they haven’t cultivated an outside life or interest. But it’s never too late to get started. And God will Help these people. Paul wrote in (2 Timothy 4:16-17) “The first time I was brought before the Judge, no one came with me, everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But The Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear.” God will go on with you and show you how to grieve your loss with Him, how to leave your loss with Him and how to go on to achieve whatever He has in mind for the next stage of your journey with Him. Thank you for reading these few suggestions on coping with loneliness. I hope they help. The biggest gain I have received from God through all the lonely times are His gifts of dependence and reliability my trust and utter reliance on God has grown tremendously, I know that regardless of the the circumstances, or where I am, or who I’m with , God is in control and wont let me down I trust His word implicitly. (Isaiah 43:4)”You are precious to me and I love you.” God Bless. Phaline. ------------------------------------