When there is no money............!

My budget's been cut - again! I know, I'm not the only one, but I have things I need to do and this is the fourth year in a row. I have choices to make: do I

complain and moan and ask for a re-think or do I just live with it? Or I could do both; that's a great temptation. So I spend a disturbed night thinking about the options wondering where I can scrimp and save, which projects I can delay, how I can keep up my staff morale and about 4:00am fall into a deep sleep. I wonder how Jesus would have felt in my position ... Then I remember that the Bible states that He too had problems and temptations and I realise that Jesus also had budget cuts much worse than mine!

He had twelve disciples and one of them (Judas) was a thief. OK: tell the Treasurer to lock the cash away whenever Judas is around. That's not going to work; Judas is the Treasurer. That's a problem, but Jesus didn't call the police; He didn't tell the rest, in fact He did nothing - except to trust His Father. How did that work out in practice? 

Rich in every way?

All summer we have had wonderful challenges of trusting God for money to do certain activities; petrol to go places we felt committed to go to; and food for ourselves and in order to share. I would say 'entertain' but that is a bit upmarket on my kind of cooking!

We have an app for the 'joyforlife' web site that shows us how many hits there are; where in the world they come from, and which pages they have opened. We have been shocked to see that all over the world there are people who want God's promises on FINANCES. As I have this page of reference Bible verses and a study on the subject 'Money Matters', I felt maybe this is an urgent time to write more on this subject that affects us all.

THE GIFT OF GRACE

Emma gave me permission to share the following powerful poem she wrote about GRACE, having been awakened in the night with these words in her heart. I felt this followed so well from Mary's story.

Gifted with Grace, a place to begin
Atoned for, redeemed, washed clean of sin
Grace builds the foundation for newness of life
Freed from our shame, our weakness and strife

Since our very beginning we've mirrored the fall
Lost in transgressions, empty and small
Our earthly desires and sins of the flesh
Are only self serving and fleeting at best

Turning from God, His praises unspoken
We're unshepherded, lost, fearful and broken
But Grace is our life line, the truth and the light
Revealing God's love, His mercy, His might

By Grace we are cradled, carried and grown
As children of God and heirs to His throne
Unconditionally given, offered to all
Claimed for by faith in response to His call

When we are weary, downtrodden and weak
Grace is the light in the darkness we seek
It shines effervescent, it leads us in hope
With Grace as our mantra we're strengthened to cope

Amidst war, persecution, injustice and hatred
Grace sees the world through eyes that are sacred
Righteous, restored and poised for salvation
Bringing heaven on earth, God's perfect creation

The trust deed to joy when all seems quite wrong
Grace is the blessing that bursts into song
No need to feel guilty with this parable of joy
Grace is God's gift for all to enjoy

By Emma Howe through the inspiration of The Holy Spirit

Mary, Mary!

'Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished' Luke 1:45 NIV
'And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord'. Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭45‬ AMP
'Blessed woman who believed what God said, believed every word would become true' Luke 1:45 MSG

All the things that happened to me and were spoken to me I kept thinking over and over as I knew they would be important one day.

I, Mary, was a very beautiful young woman living in Galilee, I was very excited as I was engaged to a wonderful man, Joseph, I had my whole future planned out.
We would be reasonably well off, after all Joseph had a good job and came from a lovely family; I could have several children, the blessing of Yahweh; a lovely home and I would be the best wife. But suddenly everything changed, an angel came to me, Gabriel, God's own messenger!..... Alone, no witnesses! What is happening?

'Greetings,....' YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!! What was happening, who would believe me? Who would not think I was losing my mind? What would Joseph think?

Then more.... 'you who are highly favoured...... ' surely not, not me? Now I know I have talked to all my friends about the Messiah coming but never heard anyone talk about it maybe happening like this, 'YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME'??

'The Lord is with me' WOW I so long for this to be true, but I know how weak I am, how human I am! But then the challenge I need to hear, He seems to know exactly how I feel, every thought!

Complaints Department

'Wow' just had a knock between the eyeballs! Well that is rather an exaggeration! I am so very challenged about the simple word 'complaining'!

I have just been studying the book of Numbers where Miriam and Aaron complain against Moses taking a Cushite wife and criticise him, Numbers 12, and Miriam develops leprosy as a result. Miriam and Aaron together repent and apologise to Moses who prays, Numbers 12:13, and she is healed! BUT there are consequences and she is put out of the city for seven days. As a result of Moses' prayer God shows His wonderful mercy and she does not need to be cast out forever, WOW such mercy!

The children of Israel in their first year after crossing the Red Sea have three times where they complain to Moses, and look through rose coloured spectacles at their time in Egypt, Numbers 11:5. They come against Moses as their leader, Numbers 14:1-4. God gets really angry at their criticism and complaints as really the people are criticising and complaining against God Himself, showing unbelief, ungratefulness, selfishness and sin.

This whole study has really challenged me, so after asking the Holy Spirit to highlight when I am complaining out loud or in my thoughts I have been really horrified how much I complain about silly little things, but all these

 

words come from a heart that is NOT focusing on God and His ways. Jesus had so many opportunities to complain in a derogatory way but His heart of Love always spoke the Truth.

When we complain out loud it develops a darkness round about us. Also if we think 'complaints and criticism' we find ourselves getting more miserable in our minds. Lots of these thoughts are not even our business and if we share them with someone else it seems to add power to the complaint and justify our opinion and disobedience towards our Father.

Somebody Loves YOU

You may not receive red roses, chocolates or any other present saying' I love you' but there is One who passionately wants you to know He thinks you are ace, and loves you with a love that lasts forever just as you are today. His love will not change dependent on your behaviour or responses. He made a very public show of this fantastic, amazing, wonderful  love on the Cross so everyone knows you are worth it!

He took the beatings, handcuffs, demands,  all so you  don't have to,  AND  you can experience His very close presence every moment. He will never let you  down, pay you back or treat you  as you deserve! Run to Him and tell Him you want to know this love. He gave all His blood to demonstrate His Love and this, unlike the red roses, never fades so you can never again say 'Nobody loves me'. You are so special to the one who really matters, Jesus Christ.

God's Favourites

I know God doesn’t have any favourites, but there are times when I certainly feel like one of His because my life has been so idyllic, especially over the past three months. We have been visiting the family in Australia for 40 sleeps with one family near Perth and then 40 sleeps on the Sunshine Coast with our middle daughter and her family who have emigrated this last year (see previous blog). Fancy three months holiday! Well, not being happy to sit around while my hard working families were running around and giving us quality time as well, my precious daughters allowed me to do laundry duties and I loved it, an opportunity to pray, worship and listen to teachings.

But all the time the verse of the Bible that I was meditating on more than any other was Genesis 3:16 ‘He told the woman, I’ll multiply your pains in childbirth; you’ll give birth to your babies in pain. You’ll want to please your husband but he will lord it over you.’ This was the curse that came on all people after Adam and Eve had chosen to disobey the only rule God had given them. ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall not eat,…. ’ Genesis 2:16,17. They lived in perfect harmony with Him in the Garden of Eden but doubted His Love. Then again from the NET Bible ‘To the woman He said ….. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.’ And from the Amplified Bible ‘…….. With spasms of distress you will bring forth children. Yet your desire and craving will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’