Valuable

P 2624 Take positive action.

/ DVH

“Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbour; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone you will presently come to love him.” (CS Lewis.)

God said that like this, in Colossians 3:2-10: “Set your minds on things that are above …(!!!That’s where the real action is!) “… not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ Who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator….”

… “  (12-14) “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

So here’s my question — WHO gets all this nifty, but really nitty, gritty, hard stuff? We do! You. Me. US! This means I can’t sit about on my hands praying fervently that the Lord will change me … while I keep on doing the stuff the bible says DON’T DO! This is a really good time to remember that the Lord put Jonah in a whale (!!) to get him back on track. So if you wanna be rebellious, then you’d better stay away from SeaWorld!

Seriously, this stuff is a no-brainer. We need to take what Jesus said and make it our great AIM to leave the ugly stuff that will tangle us up and make us fall over, behind us. If you are a fighting person who gets bad tempered at the drop of a hat, then whack your hand over your mouth and vacate the premises. And don’t come back until the urge has left you! Our mouths get us in so much trouble – sadly, I have learnt this truth the hard way. What we say, or sometimes refuse to say … is responsible for so many bad things. If we choose to abuse someone else it will escalate – and unless you are talking to a door, then that other person will retaliate!

No-one wins in an argument. Even if you think you’ve won you’ve lost! When we bad mouth or abuse someone else, we are deliberately walking away from the Lord and empowering the Old Self. Jesus won’t interfere, He wants us to take responsibility for our own behaviour. Honestly, I don’t care what they said — what am I going to do about it? We must stop expecting the Lord to supernaturally intervene, and work on changing our own hearts. HE WILL HELP US but He will not do it for us! Nothing else matters but being with Him.  So put away the things that are going to drag us away from loving Him, worshipping Him, following Him. We cannot serve two Masters. Jesus said that in Matthew 6:24. 

For those of you who are related or married to somebody who loves to pick fights, or someone who gets irritable easily … stop blaming them, and quit engaging with the argument. I don’t care how wrong they are – what is the kingdom of God worth to you? Sadly, for some people it is worth less than their own opinion. We want all the power in the world so we can move mountains, but we cannot deal with the mountains of disapproval, criticism and lust in our own lives? Good luck moving that other mountain Jesus spoke about, if you can’t control YOU.

Start speaking love and approval to the other person. It is extremely hard to argue with someone else who keeps telling you how terrific you are, how valuable you are. It is not lying – that person is valuable to God! When we are angry with someone, we rehearse their faults – why not rehearse their good points?! Life is not a competition, it is not about who wins or loses. It is about life and death. Yours, theirs and the people around us. We’ve been put here to shine His light into a dark place —- not to increase the darkness! Lastly, revenge belongs to the Lord, so do yourself a favour and don’t get in His Way.

Jesus said this verse nobody likes, remember? (Matthew 5:29)“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for. thee that one of thy members should perish, and. not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Imagine what we would all LOOK LIKE if we took that verse seriously! 😱 We need to choose to participate in positive actions with His help. Lastly, “Love your enemies …” — because at the very least you will drive them crazy!

Bye. 👋

P 2623 The Kingdom of God.

/ DVH

““Heaven’s kingdom realm can be illustrated like this: “A person discovered that there was hidden treasure in a field. Upon finding it, he hid it again. Because of uncovering such treasure, he was overjoyed and sold all that he possessed to buy the entire field just so he could have the treasure.” Matthew 13:44 TPT.

You know when I read that scripture I really puzzled over someone finding a treasure and then hiding it again! Why would you do that? I understand the guy hid the treasure again because it wasn’t his, but it IS kind of an odd thing to do! It’s kind of a bit sus! There are times when what Jesus says seems mighty strange to my sensibilities. So I looked that scripture up in a half a dozen versions, and the one from the Good News bible helped me. Spoiler alert …. that’s called digging.

In the GNB it says that the guy accidentally found the treasure, buried it again and then he went off to buy the field so he could have the treasure for himself. My first thought was: ‘What a selfish git! That treasure should belong to the owner of the field! Why didn’t this guy go and tell the man what was in his field?’ It is not HIS treasure!’ The one thing I’ve gleaned over the years from reading the Bible is that Almighty God doesn’t think like We DO! It’s a good plan to remember that.It also seems He is not interested in moralising when He is making a point. I must pick UP that habit!!

Meanwhile, I can also see that the point is that the treasure hunter sold everything to get this field, and by default, own the treasure, that thought is kind of obvious. Then the Lord asked me this question: “What would you give for the kingdom of God?” The thing is, whenever the Holy Spirit asks me a question, I’ve found I can end up with twice as many questions as I do answers! I strongly suspect that is His point – to make me think about it. 

In the meantime I kept digging and looked up how many times the Lord mentioned the kingdom of God and … ‘lo and behold …’  it was 126 times! It is in the rest of the New Testament 34 times. If you include the phrase ‘the kingdom of heaven …’ that number gets bigger. Even with my lightning fast mind 🤣 I figured that this would be a subject worthy of my attention. I need to know what His kingdom looks like so that I can go buy that field and dig that treasure up! This parable is not about morals or sharing, it is about valuing something that is worth everything I have and all my efforts too.

Now you are talking!! I know Jesus is worth everything … even in the icky nasty bits of this life. I also know God’s kingdom is incredibly valuable or He wouldn’t have talked about it so much. I think He told us what it is like … so we  can recognise it when we see it.  And that is HUGE. It means we are meant to recognise it when we see it. That’s why the treasure hunter bought the field! In Luke 17:20,21 Jesus also told His disciples this: “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” 

It’s in our midst?!? Like …where? When? …  … Maybe when we consider God’s kingdom is so valuable that we will sell everything we have to gain it! Sometimes I think we cannot see His kingdom because we don’t understand it enough to truly value it. Or maybe we think it might be fun or interesting to visit His kingdom, but we perhaps we are worried the admission fee is too high … or that field might cost too much? . … Well that’s just wrong! And boy have I got news for all of us! … SomeBody already paid.

Almighty God personally paid for us to inherit everything He has. His kingdom is ‘among us’ and  “worth everything we have” and it is already ours. We just need to get rid of the stuff in our lives that is hiding His treasure inside us. We need to look at the dirt and junk that is covering up the reality of His Presence and dig it away so His kingdom within us is exposed. Yeah, there’s a cost, but the greatest treasure this world has ever known, or will ever know is inside you … and me! Just think about that for a minute or nine. 

The next time you read the words, the kingdom of God is blah blah blah … don’t read those words like you already know them, read them digging to find the treasure of where it is hidden, and what you have to do to get it.

Bless you! 👋

P 2552 Look up in the sky … it’s a bird …

/ DVH

…no it’s not, it is an illustration!! Matthew 6:26-34: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  

We can say His kingdom is our aim, but are we actually living like that is true? I am reminded every single day of the ‘birds of the air’ because my not-friend, the noisy miner, is parked every morning outside the room I’m in, while I am typing. And that little grey bird is just doing what comes naturally. In this passage Lord is not talking about ornithological or botanical interests here. Instead, He uses birds and flowers to point out a great key to our living overcoming lives. The above verses are actually about our personal value to the Lord and WHY we should not worry. 

Day by day our focus needs to be on how valuable we are to Him simply because having that thought will help us live within His kingdom. When we grab hold of the fact that our God cares about plants and birds etc. and He looks after them, it highlights the thought that we are so much more valuable to Him. This means human beings are way up the “pecking order” (s’cuse the bad pun)  when it comes to provision. Simply because we can see that birds are fed and flowers are beautiful, then those things become living visible evidence of God’s far greater passion for us.

I’ve found that worry can paralyse me. It totally distracts me from my real purpose. We were sent into this world to witness to, and visibly live in, God’s kingdom. His kingdom is not just for Sundays, high days, or holidays. It is to be our focus for every single day we are on this earth!  At the same time, Jesus is talking about something that is very important to any human being, our basic every day needs. Food, clothing, shelter. He is not saying we should not pay attention to those needs – He is saying they should not be our major focal point in this life because the birds around us show us that He is more than capable of looking after them!

Yeah. At the same time Jesus is not telling us to go and live under a bridge and dumpster-dive for food and clothes … like some poor souls have to. I believe He’s telling us that worrying about such things is counter- intuitive to the growth of our faith and our daily living within His kingdom. Worry takes over our minds. We become obsessed with things that do not benefit us spiritually. The Lord told me this one day, “turn your worry into prayer and leave it there.” It’s really great advice … and … it definitely takes practice. 

In this passage He explains why worry is bad for people. Worry takes over and accomplishes nothing but angst.  Plus when we worry we forget how much we are loved! Jesus is explaining that God will totally take care of all our needs, and we have that promise to cling to every day … simply because we can see His commitment to the seemingly insignificant things of this world. At the same time He wants to show us that our priorities matter, so we can simply enjoy living in His Kingdom – worry is not ever to be our priority.

I have personally found that worry brushes aside whatever He is actually doing, in favour of what I think or hope He will do. We are far better off to take the time to ask Him to help us understand what is really going on. Instead of overthinking stuff or pouting because some problem or other is not resolved immediately. That doesn’t mean we quit praying about whatever it is, it simply means our first and foremost priority is to believe He is good, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

In my experience, you will not diligently seek SomeOne you are disappointed in, or SomeOne who appears not to care if you are struggling away with this and that. You may even actively avoid them. The Lord is telling us that worrying is a way to dissolve faith, and end up with a barrow load of doubt instead. So we should use the physical signs around us to remind ourselves that God cares. He looks after budgies and eagles, equally as well as roses and petunias, and they are our tangible day-to-day witnesses that our lives are far more important to Him than we can ever imagine.

🦅🦆🦜🦉 … 🌹🌸🌷🌻  Bye…👋

P 2487 The power of God is for the persistent.

/ DVH

The Lord Jesus went out into the wilderness and He was led there by the Holy Spirit, but, when He comes out of that place — He comes outin the POWERof the Holy Spirit. So this is what I want to say for today … some times when I am tempted to fight I think to myself – just one more time! The power to overcome comes with perseverance. Therefore, I will say that soft word that turns away wrath, one more time, I will turn the other cheek, one more time – I will forgive… one more time. Our enemy defeats us by projection – he projects a future that is not there, and he uses our past to do it. he says: “It has always been this way, and so it will always be this way. You have to fight or you will lose something valuable.” 

If God has not spoken to you, it is not over!  STAND. Sometimes we give up and quit fighting our enemy too early – we give in to our baser nature. Christ fought His battle through until His enemy was defeated. (Read Matthew 4:1-11) He stayed the course until the end! The power of God came and empowered the Lord in the middle of His weakness as He stood firmly on what the Holy Spirit gave Him to say, in this incredible fight. In those moments, it could have become a battle of wills, but Jesus was too spiritually attuned to play satan’s little game, He used God’s wisdom to bring about God’s purposes.

We cannot fight our enemy by ourselves! We too, need to be too smart to be pulled into “if only” and “what if.” It is what it is. A battle. Quitting early means we are letting our flesh win. Keep fighting until you hit His peace. Without His peace we can easily be sidetracked into places we were not meant to go. Seek God for a word, (or three) … and then WAIT. Let the Holy Spirit pick your battle ground – sometimes the battle is not ours. Whatever the circumstances, let the Holy Spirit guide you through them.

It was the verses with the POWER of the Holy Spirit on them in this incredible battle that WON! After the Lord was tested 3 times, the enemy had to leave. Jesus did not buy into satan’s ?logic? Remember the introductory verse to Matthew 4 says,  it was God’s idea for Jesus to be tested. The Holy Spirit led Him into that battleground. My advice is this – don’t be led into a battle you cannot win. When it comes to someone else’s will, or mind attitude – you and I cannot change it. We need to step back and let the Holy Spirit have His way … by letting love for the other person reign, the Holy Spirit knows the way through. Sometimes we fight, sometimes we die to self, sometimes we stand. But we always aim at maintaining LOVE for the other person.

In the first two of the three temptations mentioned in this scripture, satan says “if.” What is he doing? he knows the weaknesses of human flesh and he plays upon those weaknesses – he’s trying to get Jesus to accomplish what He was sent to do, in the flesh. Christ’s flesh was weakened by that fast. But Jesus had the One Who wrote the bible, with Him. (He is with US too!) We cannot fight without the Holy Spirit’s help.

In the end satan drops his pretence of helping, and blatantly goes for what he really wants … Christ’s worship. he wants the throne … satan has always wanted the throne.  he is jealous and he wants power. But because of what Christ did, we can sit, stand and walk with Jesus Christ daily. Never forget, that in times of trouble WE can walk right up to the throne of Grace and GRACE WILL MEET US. 

The Holy Spirit knows the perfect word of God to make our enemy flee. You and I may end up using more than one verse, but as the Holy Spirit hands them to us, we fling them at the things that are assailing us. Blame is useless in this place of battle – we are fighting the devil, not a human being. Stop fighting the person – resist the devil. Don’t be tempted to think up some snappy reply … the other guy has heard them all!  Just like Christ’s ministry belonged to Him, whatever we are fighting for belongs to us. But the way to win, is to lay whatever it is down at His feet, keep walking in Love, and use the scriptures that the Holy Spirit gives us to defeat our enemy. 

Lastly, Jesus had to fight the enemy in His weakened flesh – He was hungry and thirsty he needed food. The enemy is a snake, he will come at you when you are already weak. Then in Christ’s mind – He was offered everything He came to earth to buy back, without the cross. He saw those cities. Just one word and they were His … because satan owns them. The cities of this earth are corrupted. The power of God is the only true, permanent vehicle for change. There are no short-cuts. The only way up is down, the only way to live is to die, and the only way to do what He sent you here to do, is to lay it all down. Let the dream die. Maybe God gave you that dream … now, lay it down at His feet. Remember, this is one of the purest forms of worship. 

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:1&2. The power of God is for the persistent, those who will do whatever it takes, and give up everything, for His sake. Doing that will not be comfortable! “If we perish, we perish …” Esther 4:16. God’s will be done. His will, His way. Bye 👋🏻