Ponderings today 16 Dec

Whilst we may not agree with everything that is preached from the pulpit, there is always something that we can learn either about the Lord or about ourselves and our responses to it. Lets not be a people to whom are easily offended and move on without learning what it is that the Lord would have us learn in the different situations.

I read a wonderful scripture this morning that really encouraged me as one who often feels arrows in the back in the spirit from peoples judgements towards me, which God really spoke to me about and hope that it would encourage you too if you feel this way. As it is not us who receive the arrows from people but the Lord (v4)
But also reminds me not to be a person that speaks about others behind their back as words are powerful and the tongue either brings life or death. And it is so easily done without often thinking about it. And as easily as I feel arrows, others would feel arrows from me.
Lord forgive us our sin as we forgive others theirs.
God's wonderful grace forgives me and reminds me of my own judgements towards others taking away any rights of justification/restitution for my hurt.

Psalm 64
Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows - bitter words,
That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
they say, "Who will see them?"
They devise iniquities;
We have perfect a shrewd scheme.
Both the inward though and the heart of man are deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.
All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory."

And Matt 5:11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Lets be a people that recognise our own judgements towards people and turn from them and do away with the pointing of finger and malicious talk (Isaiah 58) then v10&11 "Then your light shall dawn in the darkness and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought. and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail....

A challenge from the Book of Haggai

“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in paneled houses while this house remains a ruin?” This is the word that popped up to me this morning as I sat down and felt I needed to share it here. Haggai is a wonderful book that reminds us of the right priorities in life, it is only a couple of pages long so take the time to read it in one sitting. I quote from the NIV application study bible; “Pressures, demands, expectations, and tasks push in from all sides and assault our schedules. Do! Be There! Finish that! Call them! It seems as though everyone wants something from us – family, friends, employer, school, church, clubs. Soon there is little left to give, as we run out of energy and time. We find ourselves rushing through life, attending to the necessary, the immediate, and the urgent. The important is all too often left in the dust. Our problem is not the volume of d...

One of the biggest giants here in NZ - fear of man!

After writing that blog about the terminator, I realise I need to share something that I have found in New Zealand but it is not only New Zealand but everywhere I believe. One of the biggest strongholds if you like that I have come across in the spirit is the fear of man, is of intimidation. I may have shared this before but I find it in almost every church we head into, in the spirit, the thing that hits me and tries to stop me walking in my authority and who God has called me to be, or what he has called me to do in that place, is the fear of man. That comes out of that place as I said of not knowing who we individually are in Christ. As 'Fathers Heart' courses have taught it, the "orphan spirit" if you like. We don't know that we are each special and individually crafted and needed and wanted by God, then we compare ourselves with others, we fight with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we judge ourselves against others, we lift ourselves up over others ...

Latest Prayer Update

Since writing last – We continue to pray about the tent meeting but the Lord seems to continue to have that on hold as I believe he has another way of doing the same thing but in a new way where the whole body will be used and so we wait until all the pieces come together. Please be patient with us in this. Africa – We continue to have words given to us about Africa and so the Lord is definitely talking about Africa but he seems to be widening the vision with it all, not just Malawi. It seems more like at this stage visiting a number of African Countries wherever the Lord leads, empowering people – a bit like the last China trip but for longer and more countries and so too we wait for all the pieces to fit together. He has said to have our bags packed ready to go at a moments notice and so we have done that by faith, there are just a few other things that need to come together to make this possible. Picton – We were blessed to be part of a team that we...

But one sinner destroys much good

This morning I was reading from Ecclesiastes 9 about wisdom and in verse 18 it says: "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." I have been journeying the learning of wisdom in leadership for a number of years now and it's challenging. I have made many mistakes and continue to as I learn to balance scripture, of interpreting of what is right and wrong, of when and if to speak, of being patient and learning what is love and what is discipline. When to overlook an offence and when to say enough is enough. We all ask the Lord for more, but in the 'more', what it often means is we have to learn to 'love' more and see as Jesus would see, and speak as Jesus would speak. These past weeks I have got very 'discouraged' as I go to Christian meetings and 'see' the heart of man that has judgement toward me, people who cannot look at me because of the offence in their heart. Or hear of people still slanderi...

Guest Ministry - Linda Hartzell from America

We are blessed to have join us on Wednesday the 25th at Puketaha Hall this amazing powerful woman of the Lord - Linda Hartzell - She travels internationally as a missionary / evangelist and conference speaker. She has ministered in over 45 nations of the world and has been in ministry for 30 years. I was honoured to be able hear her speak this last Sunday at Life Church and highly recommend her and the power she speaks confirming the season as to which we are in: Come along - All welcome. 7pm A little about her: " At the young age of 22 Linda's ministry was launched in the "heat" of the great Argentina Revival. She has experienced and seen first hand the incredible impact that the power of God can have upon an entire nation, when God's eyes look upon that nation for revival. Linda's message is prophetic in nature with insight and understanding of the times and a directional message of where God is takin...

I shared last night about 1 Cor 15:36 "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body..." I was preaching on it last night and it will come up in video form later in the week on the GRM sight, mainly reflecting on we can sow things one way, but God raises it up as HE determines how it should look. But this morning I got more revelation which will be quite obvious to some, but to me it struck me afresh. When we sow something it get's buried, it cannot be pulled back up. It no longer has 'connection' with 'me' if you like. It gets 'covered over' unable to be pulled up. And yet I recognise in my own life how we can sow something but there are still 'strings attached' as such as we often are still determining or expecting it be rai...

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