NEW YEAR - NEW BLOG!

I've change my blogsite for 2007. For the latest entries go to - http://jeanetteb1.wordpress.com/.

May God bless you in the coming year, and may you know and walk in His way!

My New Year Prayer!

"For You are great and work wonders! You alone are God.
"Teach me You way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in Your truth; direct and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name.
"I will confess and praise You, O Lord my God, with my whole (united) heart; and I will glorify Your name forevermore." (Psalm 86:10-12, Amp.)

This is my prayer for 2007, as I seek the Lord's direction. I face this year with many unknowns and wonderings what the Lord wants me to do.

It will be a year of new beginnings, with many new challenges, many new adventures, many new opportunities. There are so many good directions one could go, but knowing the RIGHT one, is what I find a challenge. Oh, how easy it would be to head off down the wrong road, only to find it comes to a dead end!

So I guess what I need is wisdom to make the RIGHT choice. This reminds me of what it says in James:

"If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
"Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge of the sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
"For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord, [for being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]." (James 1:5-8, Amp.)

May I not and may none of us, be double minded. But let us pray that God will direct and unite our heart to fear and honor His name. And we will confess and praise God with our whole and united heart, and not be tossed about by a double-mind!

Quietly waiting!!

I'm impressed by the patience of a frog... also the patience of a fisherman... and the patience of a wild cat in stalking it's prey! We can sure learn a lot from them... well at least I know I can!!

Quietly waiting for the right moment... perfect precision timing!! By being too quick or too slow would mean missing the catch... and in some cases dinner!!

It sure speaks volumes to those of us who tend to be impetuous in nature, rushing in before thinking! Also for those of us who are too slow and hesitant to grasp the opportunities as they come .... thinking TOO much. There is a fine balance between seizing the moment and patiently waiting for that moment.

This got me thinking about our waiting on God and His timing. Looking at history, it is evident time and time again, of how God choose the precise moment to intervene into our chaotic world. We see this particularly in the birth of Jesus.

"When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:4, NKJ)

The moment was right, the stage was set. Take for instance, Bethlehem! How amazingly God arranged for Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem for a census, right at the time Jesus was due to be born! And this fulfilled the prophecies that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Also see how God even used the plans of an earthly, heathen king to bring about His divine purposes.

And this is only one instance of how God steps into our world at just the right moment. Nothing too soon... nothing too late!!

This brings me back to think about us, and where we fit into His divine purpose. How can we learn... how can we know when to go and when to wait. It can only be through quietly waiting on Him.

"Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation." (Psalm 62:1, NKJ)
"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." (Psalm 62:5, NKJ)

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
do not fret—it only causes harm.
For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
they shall inherit the earth." (Psalm 37:7-9, NKJ)

"It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." (Lam 3:26, NKJ)

Remember when Jesus was on earth? Everyday He would get alone with His Father, and pray... talking about the day! He only did what His Father instructed Him to do. He quietly waited to know what the Father wanted... and THEN He went about His Father's business.

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." (John 9:4, NKJ)

This is also what He has called us to do. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, NKJ)

So the answer to walking in God's timing is simply this: JUST KEEP IN STEP!!

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV)

Peace to you this Christmas!

"I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace to His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly.
Surely His salvation is near to those who fear (reverence) Him,
That glory may dwell in our land.

"Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway."
(Psalm 85:8-13, NKJ)

I read this the other day and it reminded me so much of what happened at Christmas time. The two pairs of words, in verse 10, "mercy and truth" and "righteousness and peace", grabbed my interest. This explains exactly what God did in sending us His Son, Jesus.

MERCY & TRUTH:
The truth was, that we were separated from God, alienated with no hope. Sin had done this, and we deserved death. Without God, we would perish!

But God, in His mercy, sent His Son to save us from our desperate position, which is what the name of Jesus means. As the angel had said to Joseph, "You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." He is a merciful God, the God of second chances!!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." (John 3:16-17, NIV)

RIGHTEOUSNESS & PEACE:
Righteousness means being in right relationship with God. This is not a matter how good we may appear, and we do lots of good things. None of it will measure up in God's eyes. None of us can make ourselves right with God by doing good works. As the Bible says, "There is no one righteous, not even one." (Romans 3:10) And again it says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) We just don't measure up!!.. we're never good enough!

But if we believe in Jesus, we are made right with God. Jesus stands in our place before God the Father... He becomes our righteousness. God looks on Jesus and not on us.

As a result of this right relationship, we then have peace with God. The relationship is that of Father and child, where we are loved children in His presence. And this is what the angels announced to the shepherds. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14, NIV)

And Jesus said before He died, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27, NIV)

I pray that you are encouraged and that you may know, more and more, the Prince of Peace!

The Bitter-Sweet of Christmas!

Here is another thought for those who face grief, sadness and hardship this Christmas. I guess, life is bitter-sweet!! In the times of pain and hurt, God sends a special sweetness. And we see that especially when we look at the Christ child.

Did he receive lots of presents from Santa?... NO!.. but he did receive gold, the gift for a king, and frankincense, perfumed resin used in the anointing oil of the priests, and myrrh, a spice used for embalming dead bodies. Strange gifts for a baby.

But the gold reminds me that Jesus is the King of kings... the frankincense, that He is our High Priest, advocating for us before the Father, ... and the myrrh, speaks of a suffering servant, and the Lamb of God, our perfect sacrifice, Who takes away the sin of the world.

Did they hold a big party in the palace for the new King who was born... NO WAY!! But the angels celebrated in heaven and announced on the earth the good news that the Saviour had been born.

And he was not born in a palace as is fitting for a King, but in an animals' stable and His bed was a feeding trough. He took the lowest of low places. And as it says in the Word, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." This was the God of the universe come to earth, Immanuel, meaning God with us!!


These thoughts are echoed in this carol:
(Sung to the tune of "Greensleeves")

What Child is this, Who, laid to rest,
on Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
the Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate,
where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
the silent Word is pleading:
Nails, spear, shall pierce Him through,
the Cross be borne, for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
the Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
come peasant, king, to own Him,
The King of kings salvation brings,
let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
the Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
the Babe, the Son of Mary!


And the words of Isaiah:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, NIV)

A Ray of Hope in the Darkest Hour!

As I was putting this card together, my thoughts for this Christmas were for those who may not have such a good Christmas... for whom Christmas may be a dark times.

For some, Christmas brings back sad or bad memories! Some may be facing tragedy this Christmas... and others may be suffering loss... loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of a marriage, loss of children to drugs and other things! And many in the world live amongst strife and unrest, with no sign of peace.

So, if that is you, my prayers are with you this Christmas. May, even in your darkest hour, Jesus shine His light in your heart and give you a new hope!!

Remember why He came to earth! Without Him, we are separated from God with no hope. But He came to live and suffer and die, and then rise again, to restore us to the Father, and give us that hope! There is a light for our darkness!!

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined." (Isaiah 9:2, Amp)

"In Him (Jesus) was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it.]" (John 1:4-5, Amp)

"And again, Isaiah says:
'There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
In Him the Gentiles shall hope.'
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:12-13, NKJ)

That is my prayer for you this Christmas!!

God's Glory over the WHOLE Earth!!

This is the sunset I saw last night, and it reminded me of God's glory!

And then this morning on Flickr I spotted shots of the sun from over the other side of the world, which reminded me of the hymn:
"Jesus shall reign wherever the sun,
Doth its successive journeys run,
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Til suns shall rise and set no more."

About the sun, the Bible says,
"It's rising is from one end of the heaven, and its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19:6, NKJ)

It also reminded me of something else:
"This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts." (1 John 1:5-10, NLT)

Anyhow, there is more I want to write about that, but don't have the time right now, so I'll leave it and write more later!!

SOMEONE'S WATCHING!!

PRINCE FROGGY MISSES A MEAL!!
Possibly because it was not fast food!!! :-)

When I took last night, Froggy was on the front step and it was pretty dark. I was only able to see the frog when I put the flash on him, and it was not until I'd taken the pic that I noticed this brown thing in the viewer and wondered what it was. It was only after I downloaded the photos, that I discovered it was the slug! What a blessing!! Strange to say that a slug could be a blessing! eh??

Today, thinking about how the flash illuminated the darkness and revealed the slug, it reminded me of these verses:

"There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13, NKJ)

"All things were made through Him (Jesus), and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:3-5, NKJ)

What do you see??

CAN YOU SPOT BABY MOSES??

LOOK!!... in these bulrushes! Well, look for his basket, anyway! You won't actually see Moses! Can you see it?? Look again... then again??

How did you go? Did you find him??

Well, if you said you found him, you're under an illusion!! You're seeing what's not really there!

It reminds me of the story of "the Emperor's New Clothes". Everyone was admiring the kings new clothes, and nobody was willing to admit the truth.... THERE WERE NONE!! And one little boy, in his innocence said, "The king is in the altogether... he's naked as the day he was born!!"

(Read the whole story: http://www.taletown.com/emporer.html)

It proves that people would sooner believe a lie than accept the truth. Why? Because they do not have a love for the truth! Truth is too confronting!! It means admitting you're wrong! It means commitment! It means change!

The Bible says that this will happen in the last days:

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thes 2:9-12, NIV)

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." (Romans 1:20-25, NIV)

So the world becomes very twisted. People will call things beautiful, that are really not! They are under a delusion!! I think particularly in the realm of so called ART!!

As a friend of mine shared today, and gave some insight for Christian artists:

"Beauty is NOT in the eye of the beholder. May that truth ring. God is good and beautiful and lovely and pure. May we use our gifts properly.. and not distort that. Our calling is to twist things BACK. Back to the way they're supposed to be. to twist ART back. to show beauty. A man that I am inspired to learn more about, Makamoto (can't remember his last name, or spelling; my apologies)... has been a bright light in this area... he says it should be, that Christians SHOULD be creative. That is what God has made us to be. And if people want to be artists, they should come to the church, because that is where they see it coming from. And
isn't that true?!?!"


Hey! We are like that little boy in the crowd, watching the king parade his "new" clothes.... he saw and told the truth!!... and revealed what was ugly!! Can you imagine how the king really must have looked!?!? :-)

Let us point out what really IS beautiful!! ... depicting God's glory!!

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 1:4-5)

My Prayer for You!

(I pray and ask God) to fill you
with the knowledge of His will
through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
And (I) pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of the Lord
and may please Him in every way;
bearing fruit in every good work,
growing in the knowledge of God,
being strengthened with all power
according to His glorious might
so that you may have great endurance and patience,
and joyfully giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share
in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

(Colossians 1:9b-14, NIV)

Laying down our lives!

This was part of our reading the other night at Bible Study...

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with word or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemns us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.
"Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God." (1 John 3:16-21, NIV)

This was reassuring to me the other night! I guess you've probably felt how I was!... When you've given all you can to help someone else, and all you get is a kick in the head?? Then you begin to think, what for?? What was the point?... it wasn't appreciated!

But then I began to think, that's what Jesus went through for us! How He must feel!! He gave His LIFE, but we humans have rejected His love. So I guess the Lord allows these experiences, so we can feel His heart.

And then verse 19 encouraged me, knowing that we have done the right thing, and shared Christ's love, "we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything." (NIV) He has seen our devotion to others... His love has been displayed in our lives!

Are you on God’s Blessing List?

(Check out THOSE WHO ARE BLESSED by God.)

Num 24:9 The one who blesses Israel, the children of Abraham, ie, the nation of Israel and spiritual Israel (the Church). (Gen 12:3; Gal 3:13-14; Psa 122:6-7)

Psa 1:1-3 The one who delights in and meditates on God’s law, and does not follow ungodly counsel, nor stand with sinners, nor sit with the scornful.

Psa 2:12 All those who put their trust in (kiss) the Son.

Psa 32:1-2 The one whose sin is forgiven – those who have been honest and confess their sin to God.

Psa 33:12 The nation whose God is the LORD.

Psa 40:4 The one who makes the LORD his trust and does not respect the proud, nor those who turn aside to lies (or followers of false gods).

Psa 41:1 Those who consider the poor.

Psa 65:4 The one chosen by God and caused to approach Him (to be intimate with Him).

Psa 84:4 Those who dwell in God’s presence.

Psa 84:5 The one whose strength is in God and whose heart is set on pilgrimage (or on whose heart are the highways to Zion).

Psa 84:12 The one who trusts in God.

Psa 89:15 The people who know the joyful sound and walk in the light of His countenance.

Psa 94:12 The one whom God instructs and teaches.

Psa 106:3 Those who keep justice and do righteousness at all times.

Psa 112:1 The one who fears the LORD and delights greatly in His commandments.

Psa 119:1 The undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psa 119:2 Those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with the whole heart.

Psa 128:1 Everyone who fears the LORD and walks in His ways.

Prov 8:32 Those who keep Wisdom’s ways.

Prov 8:34 The one who listens to Wisdom, watching daily at her gates, waiting at her door posts.

Isa 30:18 All those who wait for Him.

Isa 32:20 The one who sows beside all waters and who sends out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.

Isa 56:12 The one who keeps justice and does righteousness.

Jer 17:7 The one who trusts in the LORD and whose hope is the LORD.

Dan 12:2 The one who waits.

Mat 5:3 The poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant).

Mat 5:4 Those who mourn.

Mat 5:5 The meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering).

Mat 5:6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God).

Mat 5:7 The merciful.

Mat 5:8 The pure in heart.

Mat 5:9 The makers and maintainers of peace.

Mat 5:10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (for being and doing right).

Mat 5:11 You when you are reviled, persecuted, spoken evil against for Christ’s sake.

Mat 11:6 The one who is not offended because of Christ. (Luke 7:23)

Mat 25:46 The faithful servant. (Luke 12:37-38,43)

Lk 11:28 Those who hear the Word and keep it. (Rev. 1:3; 22:7)

Jn 20:29 Those who have not seen yet have believed.

Jam 1:12 The one who endures temptation.

Jam 1:25 The one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, who is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work.

Rev 19:9 Those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Rev 20:6 Those who have part in the first resurrection.

Rev 20:14 Those who do His commandments and have washed their robes.

(This is a study I'd put together a few years ago... just came across it!)

Should we fear God or not?? Part 2

I have a short answer....
If we don't fear the Lord now, in the sense of reverence and awe, in the end, we will be afraid of Him.... at the judgment!!

My longer answer...
If we fear God, in the right sense now, we will not hold on to hidden sin, but we will be open and confess it, and be open for God to cleanse us. Then we can experience and bask in His amazing love.

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones grew old
through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,'
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah!"
(Psalm 32:1-5, NKJ)

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"
(Psalm 32:10-11, NKJ)

And who are the righteous and the upright in heart? Those whose sin has been forgiven. As it says in 1 John 1:7-9.....
"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Those who are in the dark have need to be afraid, but not those who walk in God's light... those who are willing for God's light to expose and reveal their heart.

"There is nor fear in love; put perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18, NKJ)

Should we fear God or not?? Part 1

I posted this today on Flickr, and someone had a question!

Tolka Rover said:
Hmmm, But this Psalm commands you to "fear of the LORD" which seems to contradict these other two verses:
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
1 John 4:18
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
So should we fear God or not?

This is what I wrote:
Hey Tolka!! That's a good point... but I don't see it as a contradiction! As I understand it, to fear God, as in the Psalms, is to hold Him in awe and reverence. It doesn't mean to be afraid of Him, but to respect Him as God, the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe. To realise that our lives are in His hands.
I think there is a danger today of becoming too pally pally with God... treating him as just your mate, and the reverence is lost.
But the amazing thing is, that this awesome God is also a God of love, and because of Jesus we can come boldy into His presence without fear, i.e., being afraid of Him!
That's how I see it, anyway!!

Tolka Rover writes back:
Maybe the "fear" in the Psalms is just awe and reverence. But to get some context, if you read the Psalm just before this one it sounds like "fear" really means fear:

Psalm 110
110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
110:6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.


In reply, I said I'd tackle that question on my blog. So, in the next little while, I'll get back to it. If anyone else has any comments, please enter them. I'd love to hear what others think....

God's Amazing World!!

We took a bunch of kids to the beach yesterday! I was thinking that I'd get some good shots of the kids and a few other things at the beach, which would all be fun. I wasn't expecting anything overly exciting!!

Then as the kids were playing in the shallow water, one of them spotted this! Yeah!.. and you should be frightened!! Amazingly, the kids weren't frightened, and neither was I!! In fact, the stingray seemed more frightened of us. But, after being told to, they got out of the water.... and I stayed... to get this!!!

I was so excited! God is so good! I've had so many good captures of His creation lately... it amazes me!!

And it got me thinking about the things He has made, and remember back in the beginning of Genesis. After He had finished creating everything it says:

"And God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely." (Gen 1:31, Amp)

Even STINGRAYS!! :-)

FEARLESSNESS!!

Boy, our lorikeets are getting game! Yesterday morning, we had two birds feeding on their normal morning treat of bread and honey, and a third one came, but the other two chased him away. He then spotted Phil's breakfast, and thought, maybe he might let me share!

This got me thinking!!

Firstly, I was reminded about God's mercies being new every morning. Every morning we see something new with these birds. Since the first visit in August this year, they have gradually become tamer, and have become more and more of a delight. And now they will eat from our hands!! It's so amazing!! (I think "amazing" is my favourite word these days! :-) )

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I hope in Him!'" (Lam. 3:22-24, NKJ)

Secondly, with our birds having become so fearless, reminds me of our relationship with God. If we love Him, we do not need to be afraid of Him. We do not need to fear punishment, but we can come boldly to Him, as His children, and receive from Him. We can bring our requests to Him without fear. We can also be with Him and enjoy His presence, free of fear!!... and just be His kids!

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
"We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:16b-19, NIV)

God's Kids!

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1, NKJ)

Here are some words a friend wrote to me:

"I have been mulling over (those verses) and I am seeing the reality of that in a way I have never quite before. I mean, as Christians we hear those words ALL the time. I am "a child of God," God is our Father, we are all God's children... you hear that all the time. It's hardly a new idea!!!!

"But the REALITY of that, I am not sure the world in general comprehends - or even I still fully comprehend.

"To the world, it's like God is an option. Take him or don't, believe in him or don't. We would exist either way through the natural processes of physics and biology.

"But that is like saying believing in your parents is an option.

"Having a RELATIONSHIP with your parents is an option, for sure, but there is nothing you can do to deny their existence. The fact that YOU exist is unalterable, undeniable evidence and proof that THEY exist.

"The fact that I was born has put me into a relationship with my parents that can never be denied, no matter what I say or think or believe. It just IS.

"And that is our relationship with God. He brought us into existence - we are HIS children. All of us here on earth are God's children, no matter what we say or do or think. We just ARE.

"For sure, sin has estranged that relationship, but the relationship itself can never be denied. But if sin has caused us to be cut off from our family, Jesus made the way for us to be brought back in - the thing God desires more than anything in the universe.

"But either way, no matter which we choose, we are AWAYS God's children. That is not an option or a choice. It just IS.

"And God's love for us never, ever, varies or waivers.

"As I am sitting here thinking through this, I am thinking that as Christians maybe we tend to think that being a "Child of God" is something only we have. And, truly, in a sense it is. But that is in the sense that our relationship with God has been reconciled, and just like the prodigal son, we have been brought back into the family. But even when the prodigal son was off living a life of sin, he never stopped being his father's son.

"I am thinking that when Jesus ate with sinners, it wasn't with the idea that they could BECOME his brothers and sisters, but that they WERE his brothers and sisters - only they were lost, cut off from the family, and his heart was yearning to bring them back.

"Boy, as I wrote that, I was thinking how I felt when it seemed we had lost (our daughter). My heart ached, it ached so bad I wondered how I could take it. She was my daughter, and I was losing her to the world, to the power of evil in the world. I realized then the pain God must feel a billion times over.

"His heart breaks for his children.

"Wow.

"How can He do it? How can He bear it??? How can God go on for all eternity feeling that pain???

"And then I considered that all that pain, all the agony and suffering God feels for the children he so dearly loves, was settled at the cross. Jesus took it all on there - that was the REAL suffering of the cross - and it has been settled for all eternity. It is over and done with.

"So now God deals with us in joy, in the joy of that victory on the cross.

"But...

"We are ALWAYS God's children, every one of us, every single person I will ever meet."

WOW!! What an inheritance!!

As I said in my previous entry "It doesn't seem fair", I was going to expound on the 7 things the Psalmist discovered in Psalm 73. But seeing this is my blog, I guess I don't have to follow any rules, so I want to start with the 5th one. This is the one that's closest to my heart at the moment. I'll get back to the other ones later.

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever." (Psalm 73:25-26, Amp)
"The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion , my cup; You hold and maintain my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage." (Psalm 16:5-6, Amp)

As I look at the area where I live, the scenes, the wildlife, the flowers, the bugs in my garden, I am so overwhelmed by how much I'm blessed!! I might not have heaps of material stuff, and I don't desire much of that, but the things that God puts before me to feast my eyes on are so breathtaking. I look at this scene of the Manning Valley, for instance! In a literal sense, I don't own an inch of that land... but yet God has given me all this to look at, and to photograph.

And everyday, I go out to sit on the front verandah, and I'm greeted by my lorikeet friends... sometimes two, sometimes four or six... or more!! Not to mention the other birds that come as well!! It truly is amazing... and I feel so RICH!!

And why has God blessed me with this? It's so I can share it with others.

And He has also given me His Son, Jesus, who has enriched my life beyond measure... even so much more than anything my eyes can behold. His love is so astounding, that I must share it with others.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1, NKJ)

Wise words from a friend!

A friend wrote this to me last week when I was feeling discouraged:

I am really getting the feeling that God has in mind to take us to places we may not have thought of or considered.

Well, think of it, all our plans can only involve what we know. We make plans that center around what we are comfortable with - but God's plans hardly ever seem to go that way! I mean, think of all the stories in the bible - all those people - Joseph, Moses, Paul - got led into places and circumstances they would have NEVER in a million years come up with on their own!

But God, working through circumstances, took them each on quite a journey!

And they trusted, not that God would make things go THEIR way, the way they might have had in mind, but simply that God was with them, wherever they may have been led - and that God was accomplishing HIS plans through them.

It doesn't seem fair!

Ever feel like that? Ever have questions like:
Why do good people have to suffer and the ungodly ones seem to get off scot free? They accumulate lots of wealth, often by exploiting the poor, and they never seem to have any trouble? And what's the use of being good and doing the right thing when all you get is trouble?

Well, that is exactly how the Psalmist felt at one time. He expresses his feelings and frustrations in Psalm 73:

1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.
11 “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12 Look at these wicked people— enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.

Do you ever feel like this? I'm sure we can all relate.

In the next half of the Psalm, he goes into God's presence and he discovers 7 things!

1. He discovers their end in the next bit.

15 If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

2. He discovers his own heart!

21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant - I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

3. He discovers God's grace!

23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.

4. He discovers his destiny!

24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

5. He dicovers his inheritance!

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

6. He discovers his security!

27 Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,...

7. He discovers his purpose!

28b and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

So how neat is that?? In the next entries, I want to expound more on some of thos points... so please come back!

NB. The translation used in this post is the New Living Translation.

He Carries Us!

"Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah!" (Psalm 68:19, Amp.)

(Same verse as the previous post, but different translation! There's two interpretations of the same verse. Don't know which is the most accurate transaltion from the Hebrew text, but it doesn't really matter, 'cause I reckon both are pretty good.)

Just think, how often, even in one day, we'd crash on the rocks if it wasn't for God's grace! I ask myself where would I be if it wasn't for His grace and mercy?

When I took this photo, I was on this mountain with a group of church friends, on a bus trip, and we'd stopped for morning tea and a devotion. And, amazingly, the devotions were about God's grace and how His grace holds us up!! And I was watching this at the same time!! Our God IS so amazing!!

This parachute is so much like His grace! Because our forefather, Adam, messed up (sinned), we have all ended up on the rocks of sin, guilt and condemnation. We are shipwrecked, with no hope of getting out of it on our own. But because of what Jesus did, through His death on the cross, and through His resurrection, we can be lifted out of our messed up lives, and live above the circumstances.

"For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:17, NASB)

And who can receive this grace? Those who realise they can't make it on their own, and who put their faith in Jesus to carry them through! THOSE WHO ARE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT!!

"He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, 'God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it).'" (James 4:6, Amp.)

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31, NKJ) Whether that saving is for the first time from sin and the old life, or from our day to day troubles, if we believe on Him, He WILL carry us!!

Why should God bless US??

"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!" (Psalm 68:19, NKJ)

WOW! I love this verse, even though other versions translate differently. But doesn't that sound a bit cocky? Who are we to think that the almighty God, the Creator of the universe, should choose to bless us. Besides, we mess up so often!

And doesn't this blessing bit sound rather selfish? Why should we expect God's blessing when others suffer?... and we become happy and content and satisfied?

And personally, why should God bless me with these beautiful birds everyday, while others on the other side of the world are experiencing their cold, bleak winter, and most wildlife have either hibenated or gone south??

Well, I picked up a book the other night by John Stott.... a beautiful book on Psalms with wonderful pics of the holy land, called "Favourite Psalms". I picked it up mainly to look at the photographs... then I started reading. I read his commentary on Psalm 67, the previous Psalm, and he addresses this same question.

He suggests two unselfish reasons for desiring God's blessings.

Firstly, so "that though us His salvation may be known to all humankind!"

"May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us;
may Your ways be known on earth,
Your salvation among the nations."
(Psalm 67:1-2, NIV)

Secondly, so "that they too should come to worship and praise God... that they should praise Him for Himself!"

"May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise You.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth." (v.3-4, NIV)

So, the reason for blessings is to BE a blessing. As God said to Abraham, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." And of course, that blessing came to us through God's Son, Jesus.

"Through the work of Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, and we Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:14, NLT)