It's Been a Long Time

The usual business of daily living and the worries and cares of this life are the thorns and thistles which choke the Word. I am not much of a gardener. In my garden there is a stone tablet which reads "In memory of all the plants which have died here at the hands of my wife" which my husband thinks is very sad. But I am trying to grow things.
In my walk with the Lord, I have had a couple of years interspersed with a failure to weed my garden. I am distracted by humanist theory, selfish ambition and self-pity. I turn my eyes from Jesus, just for a day, even and immediately I despair at the things I see around me. I waiver on the brink of losing faith and believing the promises that my family will be saved, because what I see is not looking anything near fulfilment.
Well, here I am, back. And I want to proclaim that the Lord is faithful, even when I am not. He is the author and perfecter of my faith also, and what He has begun, He will finish. Amen.

The Crossless Message

The pope graced our city with his unholy presence last week. The picture above shows our insipid prime minister (who pretends to be whatever the flavour of the month may be - to catholics he is catholic, to buddhists he is buddhist - chameleon!) greeting him I happened to be having lunch opposite the airforce base where his arrival was expected, and watched as the crowds gradually gathered, the police entourage and anti-terrorist squads checked the fenceline, and the roadblocks were set up. I had forgotten that he was actually coming and left before his plane touched down.

The catholic church is a diabolical institution, responsible for the murder, torture and abuse of many millions of souls. Don't ever think for a minute that the harlot has repented of her ways and her filth, even in this twenty-first century. Don't ever believe that the Inquisitors died out in medieval times......no friends, I bleieve that our present pope holds the title of Inquisitor and could reinvoke those powers at any time, I am quite sure.

I read an article about the pope's call for peace, harmony and acceptance of other religions. He called today's youth to renounce materialism (the Vatican is filthy rich - yes, the harlot is adorned in jewels and great riches and rides on the beast) He called the youth to have hope for the new age......the words of the lamb with the voice of the dragon.......I felt disgusted as I looked at the spindly, grotesque crucifix on the pole he carried. Do you remember the story of the Pied Piper, that German fairytale. Welcome the Pied Piper -Ratzinger (do you like the play on words?) he will free the town of rats but take the souls of children.

No gospel will ever be preached from the mouth of a pope, because popes are not Christians. They stand in the place of God and are worshipped accordingly by the deceived and idolatrous. Those who preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ are traditionally killed by the catholic church. Read your history books, including Foxe's book of martyrs, and you will see that this is true.
www.smh.com.au/news/world-youth-day/the-lords-prayer-be-prophets-of-this-new-age/2008/07/20/1216492255438.html

The Lord is Faithful

I have lots of half finished posts, and notes. It reflects my busy-ness that I don't get to publish most of them, but I thought it was high time that I put something here. I hope it may bless some of you in passing, anyway.

The Lord has shown His faithfulness time and time again. If you are desperate for deliverance, or for a breakthrough, then don't give up...be like the persistent widow if you have to be, but then rest, knowing that He has heard you, He loves you, and even if we are fickle and fainthearted and feel like giving up, beloved He is faithful!

What I love so much about the Lord, is His jealous desire to have us all to Himself and to do everything necessary to make us fit for heaven, for His highest purpose and to purge us of our unrighteousness. We cry out for our circumstances to be changed or removed, but more often than not, He changes us within our circumstances. I am glad of that. I would rather suffer trials and learn hard lessons than be delivered prematurely or remain unchanged. Sometimes when the Lord convicts me of a truth, it is like a splinter working its way to the surface - irritating, painful and a struggle. I can do nothing to remove it myself, except relinquish to His hand. That can take years. Perhaps I am stubborn too, slowing the process. But I reiterate, that He is faithful and having begun a good work, will complete it.

And I must be patient too for those things which I have asked, and believe His promises to me. Promises for the salvation of my husband, my children and other family members. Even when it seems like the opposite is happening, and that all hell has broken loose, 'my anchor holds within the veil'. I will pray unceasingly, sometimes fast and pray even, but then I can leave my loved ones to the Lord. Because He is faithful.

My oldest son is in the grip of evil, darkness and death. He dresses as a goth and dances with demons. I did my best to raise him to know the Lord, but he has turned his back on all that is right and lovely. I have despaired almost of life itself; I have asked whether I failed as a parent, and listened to every accusation from the enemy. But all this is about me. And the truth is, it never was about me. It is about the Lord's faithfulness. It is about His power to save even those in the darkest rebellion. It is about His infinite greatness, love and mercy.

With praise and with thanksgiving, I will sing to the Lord, for He has done marvelous things. He has heard my cries, even though I am weak amongst the brethren. He has sustained me when I had no strength left. He has restored my hope. I will yet rejoice in Him, and rest in His promise of salvation. The Lord has delighted in me, and His joy strengthens me.

And I know that He is faithful. What He has said, He will accomplish. Amen.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Hearing the Lord's Voice - and Living!

The Lord kindly allowed me to have some time at home this week, sending me a bad head cold, and coinciding that with minor eye surgery and another day of recovery. These were blessings to me, because I so needed time with Jesus, to be free from distractions, and to just love Him. I have done too little of that lately. I have been too busy and distracted, taking on extra work without discerning His will, relying on my own reasoning power, and hardening my heart against Him because of my difficult circumstances.

Satan will try every possible way to tear us from that which is vital to our life - communion with Jesus - by bringing into our lives 'good things' to be sure, but as I have heard said, 'good' can be the enemy of the 'best'. Jesus said to Martha, that her sister Mary had chosen that which was best. She sat at His feet, hanging on to His every word.

Lu 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word....
Lu 10:42 "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her".

Oh beloved, it is those who hear the voice of God who will live!

Joh 5:25 Verily, verily I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the Son of God and they that hear shall live!

I was blessed when the Lord led me to some material recently, which reignited my desire to be passionate about Jesus, to 'fan into flame' the gifts which I had laid aside, and reminded me that, if I am one of His sheep, I am to hear His voice - not just in time of need or decision, but daily, moment by moment. That very day, I received in the post some handwritten notes from a dear friend in England, on......hearing God's voice, of course. And, a DVD with the testimony of Ian McCormack (see his site http://aglimpseofeternity.org/ ) who began by worshipping Jesus and stressing the need to be hearing His voice!

With all this, I believe the Lord was urging me - and longing for me - to listen to Him, to seek after that which I had lost - that passionate love for Him, and in fact, that place of rest and safety, which can only be found at His feet, in His presence. How insidiously the enemy steals those things away from us, so gradually that we don't fully notice, and when we do, we are so imprisoned by our busy-ness that we feel powerless to regain that which we have lost.....but He reminded me today that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. And He is calling His sheep:

Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

And, other sheep will recognise the Shepherd's voice in us -

Lu 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

I don't mean for one minute that we are not to know the Scriptures, and know the Lord through reading His Word - God forbid! We are surely and certainly to test everything alongside the Scriptures, and to read and study the Bible diligently. But I also believe that we are meant to operate by hearing the Lord, that quiet inner voice, and I believe that in these treacherous times we need to be hearing as much as ever in order to discern His specific will for our lives, and to keep us strengthened for what is to come. As well as reading the Scriptures, hearing comes, too, by sitting at His feet, and just loving Him above all else.

I will finish with an excerpt from yesterday's morning reading by Charles Spurgeon:

I love thee, Lord, but with no love of mine,
For I have none to give;
I love thee, Lord; but all the love is thine,
For by thy love I live.
I am as nothing, and rejoice to be
Emptied, and lost, and swallowed up in thee.

"This is my Beloved Son. Listen to Him"

Faithful Love

It has been a little while since I have added to my blog. Busy. But also going through those fiery trials in which both James and Peter tells us to rejoice, consider it not strange, and to be aware that these things are common to the brethren.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

I Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Am I reproached for the name of Christ? Yes. With blasphemy and murderous threats. With ridicule, mocking and menacing. With constant reminder of past mistakes and shortcomings. The accuser of the brethren does not play fair. He does not wait for you to recover from the last onslaught. He knows your vulnerabilities, your sensitive spots, those areas of unbelief where he can make you doubt the Word of God. He knows he can use those closest to you when he needs a mouthpiece. He knows that he can get to you through the pain of your children. He uses the sympathy of friends and the reasonable advice of kind colleagues. He does every possible thing to separate you from the love of God and the Truth. And when you listen to him, even just a little, you struggle to maintain your prayer life, you begin to lose your right view of God, and you begin to look to the world for solutions.

Romans 8:33-39 tells me that nothing can separate me from the love of God.

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lord also tells me that in Him, I am a new creation. My sins are not held against me. They are washed away by the precious blood of the Lamb.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I am accepted in the Beloved, because He has made me acceptable.

Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Anything not from the Word of God which challenges my faith, my peace, my joy and which causes me even to doubt the love and truth about my Saviour, can only be from the mouth of a liar. And we know that the devil has been a liar, a deceiver and a murderer from the beginning. (John 8:44)

And so, I will be more than a conqueror. I will be victorious and I will hold fast to the truth. I will believe God, not man. And I will obey, no matter how hard or how unreasonable His charge seems. And He will complete the work He has begun in me, because He is faithful and will do it. And I will pray (Ephesians 6:18).

And the peace of God which passeth all understanding will keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

Sweet or Bitter Fruit

II Kings 4:39 - 41 "And one [of the prophets] went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But [Elisha] said 'Then bring meal'. And he cast it into the pot, and he said, 'Pour out for the people, that they may eat' and there was no harm in the pot."

Last weekend my husband, youngest son and I went out west, to outback New South Wales, which is a drought stricken, harsh land of deep red soil, thirsty gum trees and saltbush plains. However I noticed many small green, lush looking vines growing by the roadsides, and in the adjacent paddocks. Closer inspection showed pretty little round green striped melons, which surely looked good to eat, surprisingly untouched by rabbits, birds or other animals. I believe they are called paddymelons, wild vines....
We brought one back, as I thought that even if the melon was not tasty, it may be good for jam.

When I cut the melon, I put my finger to my mouth, and discovered that it was the most bitter, disgusting taste that I had ever experienced. In fact, I could not eliminate the bitterness from my fingers even after washing them. Needless to say, the pretty striped melon was discarded. Not even jam would have been possible.

This is the fruit of the wild vine, bitter and inedible. It is useless for food.

Perhaps these were the melons which the unsuspecting prophet chopped into the stew, thinking that they looked good and would be delicious to the taste, only to be horribly disappointed.

But Elisha brought flour, a measure of meal, surely a picture of the Lord Himself, our Bread of Life, and applied it to the pot of death. And the stew became edible, and good to taste. The bitterness disappeared.

I thought about how, outside of the Lord, our fruit can only be bitter. Can the Lord taste of us and say that we are sweet to Him? Can others say that we bring life to them? Nourish them by our words and deeds? Or do we look good on the outside but bring only death and bitterness like the wild vine? Jesus is clear that it is by a person's fruit that we will know them.

Luke 6:43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth corrupt tree bring forth good fruit"

Jesus does not say by our gifts, but by our fruit we shall be known. Fruit is about character, the Life of Jesus Himself in us, and this will last, as we abide in the True Vine and draw our nourishment from Him. If I act out of self, or begin to wander away in the darkness of my own understanding, or harbour those thoughts of resentment or bitterness, then I begin to grow wild, and my fruit will be like the abominable taste of the wild melon. When I submit to His pruning, feed on Him daily and remain firmly in the vine, then my fruit can only be pleasant and abundant.

Song of Songs 4:12, 16 "......Let my beloved come into His garden and eat His pleasant fruits"

Giving Reason

We stand on the authority of the Word of God, the holy scriptures divinely given to faithful men, who recorded as they heard.  To us, it is absolute, infallible and can never be shaken.  It contains all we need for life.  It contains in writing, the means by which we may be saved.  And yet, to those who are perishing it is foolishness, even offensive.  It is alive only to those whom the Spirit quickens.  

We are instructed to respectfully and gently give reason for the hope we have in Christ, and it is a joy to be able to do this when asked.  On the other hand, we are also advised not to cast pearls before swine, or become caught in foolish arguments which profit nothing because the hearers wish only to antagonise, or to defame Christ.  

We know in Whom we believe.  He is the Creator of the universe, who also became a Man, in the form of His Son and laid down His life to redeem His creation.  He did this, that though separated from Him by our sin, we may be restored and made clean, to live with Him eternally. He gives us His Holy Spirit, who indwells true believers, forming in them the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, keeping them and bringing them spotless to stand before the Throne.

Evolutionists believe that they have all proof to disprove a personal Creator who is still involved with His Creation.  The legacy of Darwin.  Psychologists believe that man can redeem himself, by changing his behaviour or delving into his past.  Their father is Jung.  

But those fathers can not save their children.

There is good, there is evil.  There is truth, there are lies.  There is light, there is darkness.  Sin leads to eternal death, and if we don't get right with our Creator, then we will be judged accordingly, as our sin deserves.  We can mock our Creator, even denying His existence.  We can scoff at the Bible, and say "That is only your opinion.  I don't even believe that the Bible is anything but a book of good advice, maybe total myth, in fact." 

There is much deception in the world.  There are false believers, committing crimes of hatred in the name of God, or those claiming to be followers of Christ who live selfish, unchanged lives......and we have an enemy who never rests in his frenzy to deceive humankind, and to destroy the true saints.  

But one day we will have to face Him, our Creator, and face Him alone.  On that day we will not be able to blame others.  People, there is an after-life.  Don't take the risk that He doesn't exist, just because you think you know better or because the god of your own imagination tells you otherwise.  To die in your sin is eternal death and punishment.  It is your destiny if you remain as you are.  The judgment is set because He is a just Creator.

The good news is, that He has provided a way for us to be saved.  He loves you and is within reach.   Your sins can be forgiven and washed away because He shed His blood on the Cross, dying a cruel death in our place.  Unlike us, death could not hold Him because He is holy.  The Lord Jesus Christ, now in heaven, soon to return, has done this for you - for us all.  We must see ourselves as we are, and call upon Him to save us - before it is too late.

How can I ever urge you enough, dear friend....dear husband? I intreat the Lord daily on your behalf - you who are dead in your sin, just as I was.

Amazing grace.

The Beloved's Vineyard

I have been absent from my blog for a month or so. This was due to school holidays, new computer and general busy-ness. Welcome back.

Today is the 24th January, and so, this morning I read the 24th chapter of Proverbs. This book of Wisdom is such, that no matter how many times you read it, there will always be new treasure. Of course, the whole Word of God is like that - new and fresh each day, just like the manna from heaven.....and today I was drawn to the final verses of this chapter where we read about the vineyard, and the effect of being slothful in tending to our vineyard. This is encouragement to not slacken our hands, to not give up being diligent in our communion with our Beloved, or immersing ourselves in the Scriptures.  Here is the picture:

'I went by the vineyard of the slothful, and by the man devoid of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man' Proverbs 24:30-33

The thorns and thistles are painful weeds, which grow amongst the good vines, robbing them of nourishment and finally obscuring them from the light.  The fruit, if indeed any remains, is hidden so that none may find it or enjoy it.  It may well be sour and stunted fruit, because the thorns have taken the moisture and sweetness.  Nettles are painful and irritating to the touch, and repel anyone from coming near to the vine.  Our neglect of our walk - our own vineyard - will eventually make us fruitless, sour and separated.  Sin will always result in this (Genesis 3:18)

The stone wall was erected to provide shelter from the elements, protection from pests and predators.  If the wall was broken down, the vineyard was vulnerable; the winds could more easily blow foreign seed into the vineyard.  Foxes could find a way in and rob the vines of their fruit.  Thieves could more easily slip in undiscovered in order to steal.

The wall also marked a clear boundary around the vineyard.  Only the rightful owner or person caring for the vineyard could enter, and only by the gate.  Anyone entering would need permission from the owner.  A city with its walls broken down was considered conquered.

This boundary was also important not just for outer protection, but also because the vines were contained.  They could not ramble their way into a stranger's field or escape the vineyard owner's attention and pruning.

Spiritual poverty renders our vineyard worthless and hostile.  The Master can no longer delight in the fragrance and fruitfulness of His planting, and will cease from walking there.  Others will not find us pleasant.  In the extreme, we have become fugitives and our lives become restless and we are fugitive away from His love, care and provision.  And when the Master does look upon us, and choose to tidy up, the process is hard and painful, because we have allowed sin to take root and our vines have become wild.  Let us not sleep, like the foolish virgins, oblivious to the true state of our vineyards.  (Matt 25:1)

Christmas Bush

No snow here. It is summer. But we have beautiful Christmas Bush. The Lord who made the universe, the sun, the earth, the seasons in their time, made Christmas Bush. I wish you all the very best for the Christmas season and New Year.

May you know and love the Lord more each day as we look forward to His coming. Maranatha!

The Dear Unknown Brother

The day before Christmas I happened to be in Parramatta (the city before you get to the city...) and amidst the hurried crowds, tired business people and jolly sprukers, a lone voice spoke out in the middle of the square, telling people how to be saved. Every shop had its bargains displayed along the pavement for those last minute buys, and here was a man offering people the secret of eternal life, something no money could buy. And it was free. People, do you have any idea of the priceless treasure you have just passed by? Do you not know that this man is holding out the answer to your eternal destiny, and you have failed to even take the remotest interest? This man, if you had listened, was telling you that our Creator sent His own Son to die on the Cross, in your place, so that you may have your sin forgiven and not have to face an eternity in hell. This man was telling you about the wonderful, saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This man, like his Master, and brothers before him, was not ashamed to be ignored, refused and even ridiculed for the sake of the Gospel. Thank you brother.

On Prayer

Today our dear pastor preached on a simple, but vital truth. The mark of an effective and Spirit filled believer is a life soaked in constant prayer. I am blessed to attend a church where the pastor lives what he preaches and is a man of prayer, who makes prayer a part of the church's life. I was pricked to the core that my prayer life has been less than what it should be, because not only do I become focused more on myself that my Saviour, but I also let down my Brethren.

“The superficial results of many a ministry, and the deadness of others are to be found in the lack of praying. No ministry can succeed without much praying, and this praying must be fundamental, ever-abiding, ever-increasing. The text–the sermon–should be the result of prayer. The study should be bathed in prayer, all its duties impregnated with prayer, its whole spirit the spirit of prayer.

“I am sorry that I have prayed so little” was the deathbed regret of one of God’s chosen ones. That is a sad and remorseful regret for a preacher. “I want a life of greater, deeper, and truer prayer,” said the late Archbishop Tait. So may we all say, and this may we all secure.

God’s true preachers can be distinguished by one great feature: they are men of prayer. Often differing in many things, they have always had a common center. They may have started at different points, and traveled by different roads, but they converge to one point: they are one in prayer. To them, God is the center of attraction, and prayer is the path which led to God. These men do not pray occasionally–not a little or at odd times. But they so pray that their prayers enter into and shape their very characters. They pray so as to affect their own lives, the lives of others, and to make the history of the Church influence the current of the times. They spend much time in prayer, not because they watch the shadow on the dial, or the hands on the clock, but because it is to them so momentous and engaging a business that they can scarcely quit.”

–E.M. Bounds, (1835-1913), Power Through Prayer

Lord, forgive my lack of prayer these past days.

The Truth About the Cross

SImple Thoughts on the Cross

I used to teach my children that the Cross is the centre of the entire universe. In fact, I likened it to the mathematical number plane, where the x and y axis - both of which travel to eternity in every direction, intersect at zero, the very centre of the number plane, forming a cross (for those of you who can remember high school maths). I also used to explain the wonders of the Cross and its mathematical proportions, known as the Golden Mean, found time and time again in nature and music....the very signature of God surrounds those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. But for those who are not mathematically or scientifically minded, we discovered the Cross in our neighbour's backyard as well!


For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Romans 1:20

God bless you, dear friends.

Absolute Captivity

"Now thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." 2 Cor. 2:14

"The viewpoint to maintain is that we are here for one purpose only, viz., to be captives in the train of Christ’s triumphs. We are not in God’s showroom, we are here to exhibit one thing—the absolute captivity of our lives to Jesus Christ. How small the other points of view are—‘I am standing alone battling for Jesus’; ‘I have to maintain the cause of Christ and hold this fort for Him.’ Paul says—‘I am in the train of a conqueror, and it does not matter what the difficulties are, I am always led in triumph.’ ...

"Paul’s secret joy was that God took him, a red-handed rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive, and now that is all he is here for."

My Utmost for His Highest : October 24

I was reminded of this again, when visiting Berit Kjos' 'Crossroad' site (see link above right). On more than one occasion when Paul writes, he begins "Paul, a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ..." (Ephesians 3:1-3, Philemon 1:1-3) He was not a prisoner of Rome, or the Jews, but of God. You are in your situation because the Lord Himself has placed you there. If He has not told you to leave, then stay and He will enable you to do so. He will no doubt use your 'prison' for your refining, until He has you in a place of complete surrender, and until there is the sweet, lovely fruit of His character emanating from your life. (Galations 5:22) It is easy to say, but not so easy to practise. As soon as I think I am doing better, the pruning scissors are put to me again. I am a wretched, slow learner and the flesh always wants to complain and have its way. Lord, I want sweet fruit which will bless others, not bitter fruit. But how often my prayer is that the Lord will not just help me to endure, but that He will even make me willing to endure in the first place. It is the surrender to His will which must come first. Suffering can be endured in anguish and bitterness of heart, and others may still admire our human grit...but if the heart is not surrendered, not completely relinquished, then it is worth nothing in the Lord's sight. Abide in Him, and let Him have His way.

John 15:5,8 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Letter to a Sister

Dear L____,

Beloved sister in the Lord, I am writing, because I am concerned for you and because I love you as a friend, and I thought it may be helpful if I share my own experience with you. I am not wishing to interfere in your life or your decisions, and we are free to choose, but I say this merely to urge you to think carefully about the course you are taking.

It is by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are redeemed; we are bought with a price. He has taken us out of the world, and given us Life. It doesn't matter what we have done in our past lives as sinners; He has made us clean and we are acceptable to Him. 'But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons and daughters of God, even to them that believe on His Name' (John 1:12). We are family with Him and with other true believers, and we are free from the power of sin which used to control us.

Dear sister, I am married to a man who is an atheist. He does not respect my faith, and is antagonistic towards all things sacred. It is a sad and lonely existence, because I cannot share that which is most precious to me, with the man I live with. I go to church alone, I cannot speak of the things of God in my own home, and often I must bear his direct anger and blasphemy. He likes things which are offensive to me, and does not care about that. This is the experience of being in a relationship with a non-believer.

We may think that we share many common interests with a person or partner. They may be kind, caring and courteous towards us. But those things do not necessarily last, and they are not enough to cement a lifelong relationship. Light and darkness do not have anything in common and we cannot pretend that they do (2Corinthians 6:14-18) . One day, my husband and I will go our separate ways - one to everlasting life, and one to eternal hell and torment and that is a terrible, sad pain which I must bear on a daily basis. I will not spend eternity with my husband in his present unsaved state.

When I married my husband, we both attended church, but in actual fact my husband was not truly born-again. He was a false convert who had never repented of his past sin, and sadly he fell away from any saving knowledge of Christ after we were married. I had ignored the Lord's warnings to me, and entered into the marriage, assuming that my husband was a believer. If we knowingly enter into a relationship with a professing non-believer, that is a different matter again. In fact, it is disobedience to God. We can tell ourselves that it is not important. Our partner may promise to respect our beliefs and even allow us to go to church at first......but that can easily, and usually does, change. We are torn between our relationship with a man and our relationship with the God we profess to love. We are also more likely to commit fornication, and the danger of going back into sin, is that it then has a hold over us, making it almost impossible - or at least very difficult - to end the relationship.

We can not make it right by praying for the person's salvation in the hope that they will convert, because we have no assurance that this will happen (1 Corinthians 7:16). It is more likely that we will compromise and that our own faith will be shipwrecked through sin, particularly since, as women we are more sensitive emotionally and more likely to be deceived (1 Timothy 2:14). Dear sister, I say this again from personal experience, because I care about you. I am so sad to see that you are beginning to miss church and fellowship with us, and my fear is that this is as a direct result of your friendship with a man who is not a believer.

Please consider carefully the path that you are on. You are in my prayers every day, and I beg with great sorrow in my heart, that you do not leave your First Love, this same Jesus Christ who gave His life for you. Let Him be your Husband, dear sister. Return to Him with all your heart, and know that He will help you and strengthen you. Let Him be everything to you, and know that I will continue praying for you, as will all your friends who love you.

Your sister in Christ,


Bonny

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art-
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.


Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word,
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord.
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.


Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for the fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.


Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.


High King of heaven, after victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys O bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all. Amen.

(Ancient Irish, tr. by M.E. Byrne)


This is my favourite hymn, although I have many that are dear to my heart. Somehow, these old ones have something that most contemporary Christian music lacks. Perhaps it is because they were written with blood sweat and tears at the foot of the Cross, or perhaps it is because they come from times when the Church had not yet become so wayward in its doctrine....

I sometimes contemplate whether, in a prison cell, I would be singing a hymn such as this, or would I be bopping along to "Jesus is my best buddy down the road...."?

All praise and glory to His wonderful Name. God bless you.

My Testimony

TodayI visited my dear sister in the Lord, Hope, after my patchwork class. I don't have much contact with the outside world these days, since I only work on Fridays now. We were talking, amongst other things, about our testimonies and how the Lord drew us both out of sin, and the world, and gave us new life in Him. I never cease to be amazed at how He could call someone like me, with all my stubbornness, laziness and faults, and make me into a new creation. What a marvellous God we serve.
I grew up in a church environment, but it was a dead, traditional church and I don't remember that I ever heard or responded to the Gospel. With the little that I did know, I remember that I did love Jesus from an early age, and considered myself to be a Christian. However, because I was not truly born again, I had no power over sin, and I lived a duality - church on Sundays and flirting with the world the rest of the week.
During my years at university, I continued to struggle with sin, and decided that perhaps I should become an atheist like most of my lecturers. It was then that I was given a vision of a white handkerchief flapping in the wind, almost flying away......except that a hand was holding that handkerchief by one thread. From that moment, I knew that I could never leave Him and that He was hanging onto me. Despite my sin and rebellion, He had not let me go. And the search began.
I went through a time of deep repentance, and there was a battle for my soul in those days. I had dabbled in many carnal and even occult activities. I still could not say that at that time I was born again. Although I had returned to church and my heartfelt desire was now to love and serve the Lord, I still struggled with sin.
But the Lord is longsuffering and abounding in mercy. How patiently He bore me!
I married, assuming that my husband was a Christian with the same deep desire for God as me. This was not the case, but the Lord uses all our circumstances and sorrows and trials to bring us to that place of complete surrender to Him. That is the work of the Cross.
One day I prayed "Lord, I am willing to completely surrender my life to you - to go all the way up the mountain - and I am no longer afraid of the cost". It was a couple more years, however before I was ready - the ground still needed tilling!
I was finally born again in May 1995, and what a birth it was! On my face on the loungeroom floor, I wept as I saw myself for what I was. I had no love. All the love, goodness or compassion I imagined myself to have was worth nothing because it was my own and not His. If I did not love Him with my whole heart, then I could not love Him at all, so therefore I was fit only to be sent to hell!
And He saved me. Even me!
I would love to say that from that time on, my life was one beautiful sucess story, that my husband got saved, my children all grew up in the Lord, I walked in sinless perfection ever after.....
But that is not the reality. The process of sanctification is a daily refining, and there is work to be done in me yet, and there always will be whilst I dwell in this old tent.
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death, if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already made perfect, but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:7-14
May the Lord bless you all dearly,
Yours in Christ
Bonny

Election Eve

Well, the elections are over and the results now finalised. Last week in the lead up, during the height of the media driven campaign, the 'church' was asked whether it should have a political opinion, and if so, how should 'Christians' vote? Apparently there was no single, authoritative answer given, at least not that I heard. Surely it is the duty of a Christian, in a democratic country, to choose carefully, examining the moral and ethical stance of all parties? Surely we must be guided by such things....but apparently not. Do we just accept the claims of both major party leaders, that they are Christians or do we examine their walk, their speech and their integrity before validating their vote-catching claims?
I know that there are powers and agendas at work in politics which go way deeper than we will ever be allowed to see. I know that in these times, Satan has powerful men and stooges where he wants them, throughout the world, in preparation for antichrist to be revealed. The Lord knows. But I pray for and respect our leaders, whether good or evil, as we are commanded in Scripture to do (Romans 13, I Peter 2:13-17, 1 Timonthy 2:1-4) that some may turn and be saved.
We know also from Scripture that man's choice is often not God's choice. This is evident in the choosing of Saul as King, again later after the death of Solomon, when the kingdom was divided on account of Israel choosing Jeroboam, who was not the rightful heir. We ultimately get what we deserve.
There is a sense that hard times are ahead, with rising fuel prices, interest rates and hints of world recession on the horizon. But I dwell on Jesus' words in John 16:33. He has overcome the world, and what is more, He will be back to reign over every nation. We are not to fear the days to come. He is our hiding place and Redeemer. He is our Provider. And although we must live bodily in this world, and go about our business here, remember that we are not global citizens, dear brethren. Our citizenship is in Zion, our kingdom is elsewhere.
Trust Him alone for the times ahead.

Treading on Sacred Ground

I think in these last days we are seeing a greater separation between those who know and truly seek the Truth, and those who are happy to stay in apostate churches. Most churches are filled with false converts, who have never truly repented in order that they may believe and be saved. Few live the Christian life. I say this with love and with great sorrow, fully acknowledging that I myself was in error for years, and because I have sat under many bounty-hunting dogs who work and use their congregations to death. I could really go into more of this, but I wanted to share a sad realisation......and forgive me for offending because I know that I am standing on what is, for many, sacred ground.

Did you ever go to a Billy Graham Crusade? Did you ever say the sinner's prayer there and go forward with the masses, asking Jesus into your heart as your personal saviour? How many think that because they have repeated the 'sinner's prayer' they are are saved, and then spend the rest of their days wondering why they have no power over sin in their lives? Why is there no growth, no love for the things of God? Why do so many 'fall away'?

I hold Billy Graham to account for the thousands, if not millions, of false conversions in the evangelical church, and for perpetuating the lie that repeating the sinner's prayer can save a person.

Sadly, this man has revealed in a recent interview that he does not believe Jesus Christ to be the only way of salvation. No true believer would say that. Billy Graham embraces catholicism and other religions.



He considers high level freemasons and satanists to be amongst his best friends, and the world respects him. In John 15, Jesus says "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own". Beware of those whom the world loves.

This book by Dr Cathy Burns is worth reading.

http://www.cephas-library.com/evangelists_new_book_about_graham_by_cathy_burns.html
I have said my piece for now.

Please Take This Seriously

If you are Australian, please substitute 'Australia' for 'America'. There is no difference. For more Paul Washer sermons and other classics, I will shortly provide some links.