~ CONTENTMENT ~

"Cheerfulness and contentment are great beautifiers,
and are famous preservers of good looks."
- Charles Dickens 

^{Philipians 4: 12-13
12} I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

^{1 Timothy 6: 6-8
6} But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Whether you have little or you have a lot, the secret to contentment is

depending on God's provision and strength, not your own.

Paul reminds us that contentment doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that we learn. As our relationship with God develops over time and through experiences, we learn to trust God more and ourselves less. Paul knew that Christ would give him the strength to persevere in whatever situation he encountered (v.13).
No matter what you’re facing today, through prayer you can receive the strength to be content.

 

The world is filled with so much good
That brings us joy and pleasure,
But true fulfillment only comes
When Christ we love and treasure.

(Anon)

We find contentment at the same place we find salvation—in Christ.

~ blessings and peace - Follower of the WAY ~

The Plague of Self-Sufficiency

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet

and a light for my path.

(Psalm 119:105)

I read this today, as I was doing a little word study on the word ‘WORD’.. sounds like a tongue twister. Some people read the Old Testament and they see a vengeful God. I see a God desiring closeness, oneness and fellowship. This is how it spoke to me. I see myself and I see others in this piece of scripture.

A Plague of Hail
13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 14 If you don’t, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
15 By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth.
16 But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth.
17 But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go.
 18 So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt.
19 Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’”
20 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the LORD had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields.
 21 But those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left theirs out in the open.
22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt.”
23 So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt.
24 Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning.
 25 It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed.
 26 The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.
27 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The LORD is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong.
28 Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had enough. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.”
29 “All right,” Moses replied. “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.”
31 (All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding.
32 But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.)
33 So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the LORD, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased.
34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn.
 35 Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted through Moses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know this is directed at Pharoah, at the way he was persecuting Yahwh's people, but all scripture still continues to speak into our lives again and again. Why is this? Because human nature in and off itself desn't change, cultures, circustances etc may do, but the problems that face today are the same. Our  ruler can be our own hearts and minds...the things that we allow to drag us from the sanctuary...the things that take our eyes of Jesus, the things that stop us desiring and worshipping him, depending on him.

When we face difficulties in life, as believers we are meant to seek the Lord, to plead to him, and invite him into the situation. We should lean on him and our prayers never cease. Oh how he delights in this communion with us…in the softening of our hearts.
But often Christians don't turn to God, instead we get angry, and retreat back tp the ways of the flesh in handling the problem. But experience has taught me, that getting ugly or trying to get even, does not fix anthing. It just causes even more stress and anxiety.

Even those who do seek the Lord in the storm, too often when its passed,  return to self-reliance. The very thing God doesn’t want. We coose to descend to the lower regions…to ‘self’ sufficiency, to the way of our minds, ego’s and the flesh…the land where there is no peace. Verse 21 'But those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left theirs out in the open'
We leave ourselves, our lives and our families out in the open, when we turn from the ways of God and seek the ways of the world, when we turn to its ways for solace and comfort.

 Struggles and hurts, with always be with us, but the way we face them, the way we choose to walk daily doesn’t need to change. We can go from strength to strength in our struggles…and grow in our depth of intimacy with God. ‘We can know peace in the storm and the drought’...and will prgress in spiritual maturity.
 God has so much for us….but we need to want it, and desire him and his ways above all things, to worship him alone, to surround our ear and eye gates with the things of God and not this world.   He had spared us again. If only we would stay in that closeness with him, that communion, that place of safety, holiness and fellowship.

Whats preventing you from giving your all for God and remaining consistent. Who is your Pharoah? Whats keeping you bound and imprisoned?

Psalm 119: 98-109

Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.

98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.

99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws.

100 I am even wiser than my elders, for I have kept your commandments.

101 I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word.

102 I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.

103 How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.

104 Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life.

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.

107 I have suffered much, O LORD; restore my life again as you promised.

108 LORD, accept my offering of praise, and teach me your regulations.

109 My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.

Peace to anyone who reads this.
 Linda - Follower of the WAY

Y

Where is the Love? (2 Masters)

Messages come through to us in a myriad of different ways. I was with some friends last night, and this song was played.I found it refreshing, because its truth. We live in a blinded world, driven by greed, consumerism and materialism. Its everywhere and sadly even within Christendom. If most problems in the world were boiled down to there essence, we would find 'greed'and 'fear' as the root causes.

The bible speaks very clearly about whats important in life and whats not.

Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

On my recent visit to America, I had an experience that has stayed with me. I attended an event, which was pretty much a wash out, torrential rain had been forecast, and it didn't let us down. Many people didn't come because of the weather..and I suppose thats understandable. On one of the nights, when the wind was howling, and the rain bucketing down, some believers had arranged a church service. They gathered in a small group to sing songs to God and give testimony of what he has done in their lives. Initially I wasn't going to attend that little service, because of the terrible weather, and the only shelter from it, consisted of a building with a roof, but no sides. Then the thought came to me 'If my saviour could be born in a smelly old manger for me, then the least I can do is worship him out in the storm, so I donned my coat and went out there.
Well the singing was so beautifull and soft...(drowned out in part from the raging weather), and the sharing was from the heart and genuine. I truly felt the spirit of the Lord there...and I believe the others who stood around that night did too. It felt sort of like a sacred moment, because I knew that no matter what happened in life, believers in the Lord, don't need any props, we don't need buildings, we don't need sound systems, we don't need power pionts..all we need is each other and the word of God. The Spirit is whats important....and if its sweet and honest, then love is there too...and where there is Love, lives are changed and miracles happen. Its not about the money, money, its about the spirit and about Love.

The pastor at the church I attend and his family are very humble people. They have 9 children, 4 of them still live at home. The house they live in is provided by the church and its the most plainest, humblest house you could imagine. It looks like it hasn't been redorated since the 1970's and there are definelty no mod cons and nothing fancy inside it. The dishwasher looks like it came out of the ark...and I think its only fired up for special occasions. They always have people over for meals and they're the happiest looking couple I've ever met. In my opinion they live 'Its not about the money, money'...really and truly...and I find that inspiring in this world today. Its obvious where their treasure lays and where there hearts is.
Be Blessed,
Linda - Follower of the Way

A Living Temple

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven."
Mathew 6: 9 & 10

Doing Gods will should be our first and greatest goal in life.

Here's a true story from the book 'Praying the names of God' - by Ann Spangler

Lalani is a Sri Lankan woman who knows what it is to depend on God to provide for her. In 1986 she married Lionel Jayahsinghe, a former Buddist monk, who had converted to Christianity after reading a tract. Shortly after their marriage the two began a small house church, despite the opposition of local monks, who went door to door warning people against them. It wasn't long before Lionel started recieing death threats. One Friday in March 1988 Lalani heard a gunshot. Lionel had been shot in the face. her husband stumbled into their bedroom, followed by an assailant who stabbed him repeatedly. As she turned away to shelter her 11 month old son, she heard another gun shot.
After Lionel's death Lalani became determined to continue the work they had begun in their home, despite threats against her own life. During the years that followed, the church grew despite continued opposition. At one point the roof was burned and later on, in 1999, the church property was bombed. Today their are 1200 believers, that attend the church that she and her husband founded.
Not long ago Lalani travelled to another city..
When asked how things were with her church, she replied "Wonderful, Praise the Lord". later she gave a more detailed report, telling how the local opposition had that week organised a protest march against her church and then burned the thatch roof.
Stunned by this news, someone in the meeting asked why she said everything was wonderful. "Obviously she said enthusiastically, "since the thatch is gone, God must intend for us to have a metal roof."

What a remarkable statement ! Instead of complaining about her hardships (and they must be many) Lalani praised God, because she fully expected her heavenly father to turn these difficulties into a blessing for the church.
We should all reflect on the faith of this amazing and couragious woman. !!

Reading this devotional today got me to thinking about the way we gather to worship the Lord, and more specifically where we gather. For the Lord isn't living in a building. Yes he meets with us there, and he dwells within us..but he is also everywhere. So we can be alone or in company and still praise his name, worshipping him in spirit and in truth no matter where we are. Praise him for that and for freedom from persecution.
Praise God that he does not dwell anywhere that man can destroy.

In the old testament Soloman says in 1 Kings 8:27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built."

2 Corinthians 4:6 - 12
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

1 Corinthians 3: 16-17
"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple."


Blessings to you all - Linda Follower of the Way

The Narrow Road

Mathew 7: 13-14 The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Mathew 6: 19-21 Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jeremiah 6:16
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

Compassion (from Latin: "co-suffering") is a virtue — one in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy (for the suffering of others) are regarded as a part of love itself.

'A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair.'
~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

'A love for humanity came over me, and watered and fertilised the fields of my inner world which had been lying fallow, and this love of humanity vented itself in a vast compassion.'
~ Georg Brandes

'At the end of the day, love and compassion will win.'
~ Terry Waite

'For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?'
~ Bell Hooks


The greatest example ever of love, was embodied in the person of Jesus. 'Our beautiful compassionate Lord'.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman Mark 5:21 - 43

21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing[d] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

A Story of Supernatural Rescue

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(God as our Refuge (Mach-seh)

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Psalm (:9: 9-10
9 The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.


A few years ago, a young Liberian man experienced the truth of God's promise to be a refuge for the oppressed. His story takes place in the late 1990's, in the middle of Liberia's bloody civil war.
Joedafi was doing his best to stay alive while making the fourty five mile trek on foot to the capital city of Monravia, hoping for a chance to escape the fighting that raged around him. After he and his friends spotted several bodies rotting in the bushes, he began crying out to God with the words of Psalm 23 - "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."
Suddenly he and his companions were surrounded by soldiers. They had unwittingly wandered into Charles Taylor's rebel camp.
When one of Joedafi's friends tried to resist, the rebels didn't hesitate - they slit his throat with a machete.
Joedafi was thrown into a crudely constructed jail, around which were strewn human bones and skulls. Knowing he would die if he didn't escape, he kept on praying Psalm 23. Then after a few days, he was moved to a deep place within the forest. He reports what happened next:

'I began to feel that I would be set free by the Almighty God. I'm not sure how I came to have such a feeling, but it was ever there. The thought was quite wild, becaue I witnessed the soldiers disregard for life. They made us drink from human skulls, bury dead bodies and live on leaves.
Yet Psalm 23 was giving me the feeling that out of this valley of the shadow of death, God would deliver me. In the past I read my bible daily and went to church. Now I believed that God would do something and prove himself. I had believed in the Lord and trusted him to lead me in my life. I took faith in the teaching I had heard, that the Lord delivers those who trust him and commit their ways to him.
One evening, as I was dozing off to sleep, I heard a silent voice call my name, commanding me to rise up and walk away from my captors. It was so commanding, I obeyed instantly and walked past sleeping guards out into the main road. I walked on spellbound and passed by many rebel soldiers along the road, but none of them dared ask me any questions. I walked through many check-points and wasn't stopped once.'
Joedafi kept on walking, hour after hour, until he met someone willing to give him a ride to Monravia, where he then boarded a ship bound for Ghana.

What a remarkable story of a man who trusted God to be his refuge and was not dissapointed. Most of us will never face the kind of terror Joedafi describes, but we will pass through storms that test our faith. When that happens, remember that the same God who miraculously rescued this man, is your God too. Let him be the refuge you seek, your stronghold in times of trouble.
Today as you think about God's desire to be a refuge for his people, pray for believers throughout the world who are suffering the ravaging effects fo poverty, war, famine and natural disasters. Ask God to shelter and to save them.
by Ann Spangler

Psalm 23:4-6
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

I hope this story encourages you as much as it did me'
God Bless - Follower of the Way

Heavy Load

Have you heavy had to carry a heavy load, or felt like life was a chore ? I can remember being a tired, young mother, I didn't yet drive and I recall vividly what a mission it was just doing the groceries each week. The first worry was always that I would go over the budget and have to put something back (shame), plus trying to keep a toddler happy all the way round the store, so he wouldn't have a tantrum. Then there was the walk home, pushing the pram, praying the baby would stay asleep, grocery bags piled high on top of it, plus holding the hand of a tired toddler. I remember feeling like those wearisome days would go on forever !!! but they don't.

Sometimes we can become like this spiritually too. We weigh ourselves down with the woes of this world on TV and with health or financial problems. Then a friend phones and pours their heart out, and before you know it you feel weighed down physically, emotionally and mentally.

The bible tells us in Galatians 6:2 'Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ', so we are meant to be there for our friends, and to encourage them, even if we cannot always lift the burden completely, we may be able to ease it.

However sometimes, almost without realising it, we find ourselves carrying other people's burdens in our minds and hearts and feel unable to let it go.

The writer of Ecclesiastes advises:
'In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. (Ecclesiastes 8:16). So we see that struggles are just a part of life and will always be there in some shape or form.

The Psalmist tells us:
'Give your burdens to the Lord,and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall'. (Psalm 55:22)

We are never alone, the Lord is always with us, and wants to be included in our walk, he wants to help in carrying the load. Picture yourself placing your head on his chest and share all that worries you. Then release it from yourself, or otherwise you'll still be carrying it.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

The 'REST' Jesus talks about is an 'inner peace'. Its a knowing deep inside, that even in the midst of a storm (yours or soemone elses), God is in control, right through the whole thing and a peace that passes all understanding will come and take root deep in your heart. Try it !

God is a great God with wide shoulders, designed and desiring to lift our burdens. So take it to him !!

Blessings to anyone who reads this - Linda FOTW

'Merge like a Zip'

In New Zealad, to help with traffic flow, we have a system called 'Merge like a Zip', for when you want to enter a busy flow of traffic. The traffic isn't going to stop, so this system allows a little opening for cars to slip into the main flow. So as I was thinking about this concept of 'merging', this slipping into something that is already there and moving,
it got me to thinking in a spiritual way.

I saw a mighty flowing river, a bright clear, warm day and many trees lining the river. Dappled light from the leaves flickers on the water and where the light and water meet in splashes, the light dances. In places the river surges with great power and then in other areas, it gathers in small pools. The river never decreases, its width and might stay the same. Unlike a normal river however, this one has no beginning or end, it continues to flow on forever, because it represents Gods love.

Each morning as I wake, I see myself dive deep into this river. The river flows so fast and I'm simply carried along, becoming one with it. I see myself 'merging'...slipping into whats already there. As a kingdom bearer, I seek to bring heaven to earth, by bearing Christs likeness within me. By taking the light of his love that I know and being that to whomever I meet. To receive others in the same way I am received by God each day.

I don't know who might phone, or come by the house. I don't know what needs will arise..but I want to contribute somehow to the flow. Because whatever we do in love, has an impact in people's lives and in the spiritual realm. It does make a difference and it helps to bring the kingdom closer, even into one life, to unveil the lovely face of the Lord. As Mother Theresa would say "A drop in the ocean may not seem much, but the ocean would still be less without that drop".

Blessings to anyone who reads this - linda Follower of the WAY

'I AM'

One day a woman asked,"Who are you God?"
He answered, "I AM,"
but who is I AM," she said?
He replied..I AM Love, I AM Peace, I AM Grace, I AM Joy, I AM the Comforter, I AM strength, I AM safety, I AM Shelter, I AM Power, I AM the Creator, I AM the Beginning, and the End, I AM the Most High, I AM the Way, The Truth, and the Life
The lady with tears in her eyes, looked toward Heaven and said, "Now I understand, But Lord, who am I?"
The Lord tenderly wiped the tears from her eyes, and whispered,
"YOU are MINE!"

Favourite Scriptures

‎A continual blog..to be added to as I remember various scriptures that have helped, consoled, taught and inspired me over the years.


1 Chronicles 16:29

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Isaiah 35:8
And a highway will be there;it will be called the Way of Holiness;it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it;wicked fools will not go about on it.

Isaiah 40:31

'But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint'

Psalm 103:8

'The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and a
bounding in love'

Mathew 7: 7 & 8

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened"


Jeremiah 6:16

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

The whole Book of Ecclesiastes (its all great)

Ecclesiastes 3:
A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him

Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a]
“Everything is meaningless!”

The Conclusion of the Matter

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Going Deep with God in Song

He Knows My Name


Hear O Israel

'The Power of the Mind'

I've read Genesis and the story of 'the fall' in the Garden of Eden, many times over the years, sometimes in a deep way (when I studied Genesis at Bible College) and at other times just briefly. This time I'm stripping it down to its bare bones.. Eve ate of the fruit and Why?
Eve succumbed to the temptation of the serpant and assumed that she might be missing out on something, or that God was witholding something that could be vaulable to her to know/or experience. So she took matters into her own hands, disobeying God's protective instructions, let her mind be swayed by the argument of another (the serpent) and went her own way.

So...where do assumptions begin and decisions get made?

1. They take root and form in the human mind and heart.
2. The human mind is our most powerful adversary in life. This is the place where we most often are led to dwell on a whole myriad of things which over time can take root in our life. eg. entertaining flattery, accepting and believing negetaive comments, allowing discouragement to destroy our joy, getting weighed down by dissapointment and grief etc etc

Take a look at:
Genesis Ch. 3 'The Fall'
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

Now putting Eve aside....here's a question?
Have you ever considered yourself 'spiritual'..or think that your immune to certain behaviours..like you've progressed a litle on am 'invisible' spiritual ladder?

In other religous belief systems, thats how it works, you make slow progress up a sort of spiritual ladder. You can advance but also retreat.

Within Christendom, there is no such ladder, if anything there is more a descent into a true realization of yourself in comparison to who God is..and a deep almost primal and heart sobbing awareness, that despite it all, he loves you and your still on the top rung! Hallelujah !!

God gives human beings 'free will' and a 'mind'. He doesn't want drones to obey because they have no other option. He desires relationship, and intamacy with all of us - who choose to be in fellowship with him.

The first lecturer I had at Bible College was one of the lovliest Christian men I have ever met..and why? beacuse he was humble...from the way he dressed, to the way he spoke. The only pride he possessed was in his greatfulness in what God had made of him over the years. He beleived if you saw anything good in him at all, it was the spirit of Christ who dwelt within him, that you were really seeing...and not him at all.....I loved that.
He had a big impact on me. He also kept reiterating to the class, that life was a spiritual battle ground, that the enemy stalked around seeking whom he may devour. He told our class. that there were things we needed to be on our guard against and that just as the Lord Jesus was tested, we would be too.

He told us to watch out for the 'pride of life', and to be on our guard against pride fullstop.

He warned us about the eyegate, the lust of the eyes & warned many will fall into this trap.

... and about how we need to be aware of our ego..because it likes to be stroked and complimented.

..that we need to be aware of our emotions and thoughts and not to be taken down by discouragment and criticism, which we will receive as Christans.

I remember thinking maybe he was dwelling too much on the pitfalls in life and not enough on the power of Jesus to overcome.
But almost 10 years on now, I am a bit older and a little wiser. Life 'is' not easy, life 'is' fraught with dangers and dissapointments..and while 'yes' Jesus's name is all powerful and we don't need to believe lies, we do have to live in our human-ness. We are not God, we are human beings, made in his likeness.
Some wise mind scritures:

Isaiah 5:21
'Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight'

2 Corinthians 10: 5
'...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ'

and now some truth...

James 1:13-15

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 Corinthians 1:25
'For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength'.

The spirit equips us will all things needed for this life - a whole spiritual armour -

Ephesians 6:10 ff
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

So to finish off, just be alert each day, don't become complacent, be ever mindful of the spiritual forces all around us (good and evil) that prey on your mind and want to take it captive. Cleave to the heart of the risen Lord, fellowship regularly with believers, remain in God's word and stay ever fervent in prayer.

Psalm 19:7
'The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

This is the best defence against the snares of life..so walk in the authority you have in Jesus, recognise those thughts that arn't of the Lord, but rather lies from the enemy...because while we continue to walk this earthly plane, they will always diligently seek an opportunity for unwelcome entry into your life.

Blessings and Peace -Follower of the WAY
This is good too !!

'Normal Day'

‎

'Normal Day' - let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you & bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in a quest for some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I can, for it may not always be so. One day I might raise my hands to the sky & want, more than all the world, your peacefull return. ~Mary Jean Iron

This quote, speaks very deeply to my heart....and this is why -

A day can start out quite pleasant/uneventfull, and then we get a phonecall and the news it brings, may shatter our peace. But this doesn't need to be permanent.

As a mother/parent/friend..fellow life journier, I realise there isn't much in this life that I can control, except that which concerns myself.

When it concerns others, I can give advice when asked, I can listen, I can encourage, but I can't walk any one elses walk.

Its hard to see our children,family & friends going through struggles. But really struggles in life are our greatest learning opportunities. I know the little wisdom I have aquired so far, has primarily come about through the valleys times in my life.

A councellor/college lecturer once told a class I was attending, this saying - "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got", and this is so true.

Sometimes we can see bumps in the road coming for others before they do, and often saying what we think they should do, won't change anything.

Personally I don't know how I would get through this life without my faith.

'Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see' (Hebrews 11:1)

Being able to hand things over to God, and know that he hears and cares is a great comfort. It doesn't necessarily mean the situation will change dramatically for the person or situation being prayed for, because I am not God, I can't see the 'big picture'. I don't know the lessons a person may need to learn, or the areas they might have to grow in and, I don't know what they might truly want. I also don't know exactly how God is working in the situation. All I do know, is that 'he is at work',and that's my assurance.
I know God cares and answers all prayers...in his way and in his timing.

Conclusion:

Own whats yours, fix what you can, and release what you can't.

As for others, help where you can, pray for their needs and then release it. Worry just elbows out faith/trust & peace.

When we clutch anothers burden to our breast, we not only weigh ourselves down, but I belive we also block God's light from being able to enter in,
and when we can let it go in faith and trust God, we unlock the gate for the serenity to once again return and we are free, to live in 'this day'.

So when I have a 'normal day', without any cares or concerns, I am very very thankful, because who knows what tomorrow may bring?

Peace - Follower of the WAY